To Forgive Life
by enidwilson
Summary: A violent struggle leads to Elizabeth time-travel into the future. While Elizabeth learns to adapt to her new life, Mr. Darcy discovers his love for her and tries to solve the murder mystery. Will Elizabeth return to Regency England or Mr. Darcy ride into the future? Be warned - this Regency story contains violence, modern and fantasy elements. COMPLETE
1. A slave girl

_A.N. Thank you for all the readers and reviewers of "Deepest Desires, Deadliest Hate". I had a ball posting the story and reading your comments. I have another WIP here. It is a time-travel story, with a murder mystery linked to it. I am no historian, so I hope you will let me know if I make any mistakes or give me some constructive comments. It is about 20 chapters. I usually post on Sundays (maybe fortnightly). Happy reading and remember to review! I live on your comments._

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**CHAPTER 1**

"My poor nerves! Why have you chosen to cause me such grief, knowing how poor my nerves are!" Mrs. Bennet clutched her bosom and cried out. "Are you so uncaring as to condemn this family to homelessness and shame? If you do not care at all about your sisters or me, do you not consider your father? Accept Mr. Collins's proposal and give your father the pleasure of the knowledge that his estate wouldn't slip from the grasp of his daughters."

"Do not think of placing such a weight on me. You place me in an unfair position to choose between Longbourn and my happiness." Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest.

Longbourn Estate was in a state of upheaval.

Mrs. Bennet and her second eldest daughter were engaged in a heated debate over a decision that should have been only Elizabeth's. Elizabeth had received a proposal of marriage from a cousin of theirs, Mr. Collins, who was the heir to their father's estate, being their closest male relative. Longbourn was entailed and Mr. Bennet did not have a son. This proposal was to Mrs. Bennet salvation of some sorts. Elizabeth marrying Mr. Collins would ensure that the rest of the family would still have a home in the case of their father's demise. To Elizabeth, however, this was not a proposal she could possibly accept. Mr. Collins was insufferable and tiresome to be around. She, therefore, rejected him politely to the misery of her mother.

"You lose nothing by marrying Mr. Collins, rather you gain tremendously!" Mrs. Bennet continued.

"I see nothing to be gained by marrying a man who is more repugnant to me than a loaf of stale bread."

Mrs. Bennet gasped in shock at her daughter's effrontery and turned to her eldest daughter, saying, "Say something to your sister, Jane, Lizzy seems to have lost all sense of reason."

Jane attempted to ease the matter by appealing to the emotions of all those involved.

"Mama, I'm sure Lizzy understands how important this marriage is to herself and the family. The magnitude of the responsibility must make her weary, give her some time alone in thought. She will surely come around. All this shouting is upsetting your nerves and your health."

Jane then turned to Elizabeth and said, "Lizzy, don't overthink about Mr. Collins's flaws. He might not provide you much entertainment and might cause you some occasional embarrassment but he appears to be a good man, polite and responsible. His situation in life is great. I'm sure with time you will begin to love him as you would a man in the most dashing crimson coat."

Elizabeth stared at her sister, hardly believing Jane would not support her, or that Jane would think that she favoured a man's appearance over his wit. "It is simply not as easy as you make it out to be. You have yourself Mr. Bingley, an amiable man whom you love so affectionately, even if he is greatly flawed, your love for him will give you the strength needed to bear his every shortcoming."

Jane's eyes cast down, clutching a letter she had received from Miss Bingley earlier today.

"I simply have no feelings towards Mr. Collins besides polite courtesy," Elizabeth continued. "I cannot bear the thought of being married to him and would not wish it upon any of my sisters, to spend the rest of their lives in misery to provide me some form of security." With these words, Elizabeth left the room and Mrs. Bennet wailed loudly.

Shortly after, Mr. Bennet walked in.

"What is all this noise about?" He asked. "Is it about the Netherfield ball last night? I sorely regret the arrival of the Bingleys into the country, I haven't been able to secure for myself a moment's silence since their arrival."

Mrs. Bennet proceeded to cry all her complaints at him. "This has nothing to do with the Bingleys! How can you speak such harsh words knowing fully well that I seek the security of our daughters' future and the future of this family? Mr. Collins has asked Lizzy to marry him in a show of kindness and consideration for this family, yet she refuses him and in such a rude manner. Lizzy is more than ripe for marriage. You must convince her to accept his proposal before he changes his mind. He has left for a walk."

"Is that it? You must not fill your head with such thoughts," Mr. Bennet replied. "Are you not confident in the worth of your daughters, that you must throw them to any dog that demands a bone?"

Horrified by his words, Mrs. Bennet retorted, "You paint me as though I attempt to sell our daughter away as a slave. Isn't the duty of every mother to raise her daughters, so they are agreeable to the best suitors? Your favourite daughter is proud and haughty and far too clever for her own good. Keep spoiling her and she will bring ruin to this family!"

"Fine, I will speak with Lizzy, but on the condition that there will be no more yelling for the rest of the day." Mr. Bennet replied grumpily.

~0~

Elizabeth had stalked off from Longbourn and paid a visit to her dear friend, Charlotte Lucas, a plain-faced but practical spinster in her late twenties.

"Why, if I may ask, did Mr. Collins take it on himself to marry you, even after you rejected him so strongly."

"Well, he fancies himself a hero of some sorts, a knight in shining armour come to save my family from the misfortune of completely losing Longbourn. You know Charlotte? What does a woman lack that she must depend on a man for … almost everything."

"These are heavy thoughts for a woman to keep in her chest, I personally see it as a way of maintaining structure in our society. I insist that this is a matter that must die in your heart if you are to maintain your sanity and social standing."

Elizabeth sighed, "But it is thoughts like this that set my heart on fire and fill me with passion. The emancipation of women everywhere from the shackles of social expectation and bondage of marriage!"

"What gives you these funny ideas, Lizzy? Emancipation? I see no woman in shackles. If anything, it's the other way around. Men are burdened with heavy responsibilities from an early age and have been given charge over us to provide and care for us. They go to battle without hesitation to protect us and all we do is keep the house. I think we are the ones who have shackled the men down."

Elizabeth pondered on this for a moment. "Do you think it irresponsible for me to turn down Mr. Collins?"

"I wouldn't want you to marry just any man. But do put into consideration your family and their thoughts. I think that marriage seldom makes women happy, all we have for certain is our family. It is they who hold the keys to our joy and we must do all we can to keep them in good spirits."

Elizabeth did not agree with Charlotte about happiness in marriage. She felt tired and wanted to return home. "I will rethink this matter, but I will feel much better if you will accompany me home, to help me distract Mama's attention."

Charlotte agreed eagerly, much to Elizabeth's relief.

~0~

Upon getting home, Elizabeth found out that Mrs. Bennet was above stairs, resting. Jane was in the still room, preparing some herb to calm Mrs. Bennet. Lydia was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Collins was settled in a chair reading a book, ignoring Mary and Kitty, who sat near the windows whispering. Mary told Elizabeth that her father wanted to speak to her. Elizabeth left for the study, happy not to stay a moment longer with Mr. Collins.

Charlotte chose to sit on the empty chair near Mr. Collins and started a polite conversation with him about the ball last night. Mr. Collins brought up the matter of marriage soon afterward.

"What do you think," he asked, "of a man who is set to inherit a property from a close relative who has no male heir and then decides to marry one of his relative's daughter in an attempt to save them from losing all claim to the estate. What would you think of such a man?".

"I would say such a man is quite kindhearted and very agreeable. I would love to know such a man." Charlotte replied with a sly smile.

Extremely pleased at Charlotte's reply, Mr. Collins told her about his generous patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh and his current situation as vicar of Hunsford.

~0~

Elizabeth entered her father's study. On seeing Mr. Bennet's tired appearance, she teased, "Papa, you're looking so old you're giving us all a fright. No wonder Mama won't stop about wanting me to get married, what we need now is for you to rest more and look half your age, that way we may be free for some time from mother's constant nagging."

"If you would refrain from setting off your mother's nerves, perhaps I would appear half my age. So, what is this I hear of you and a marriage proposal?"

Elizabeth was taken aback by her father's words. She thought her father would jest about Mr. Collins's proposal and support her decision. "I have no control over what Mama does or doesn't feel. She chooses to be in a state of distress. I have the mind to know what I do and do not want Mr. Collins's attention?"

"Why is it that you so strongly refuse to marry this man?"

"Did you have to ask?" Elizabeth cried out. "Mr. Collins is pompous, ridiculous and more. His eyes have something sinister behind them. Why should such a man be forced upon me?"

Mr. Bennet sighed. "You know your mother. There is nothing to be done than for one to bend for the other. Either you for your mother or your mother for you. All I ask is if there is any compromise that can be made on your part, for your dear Papa's peace of mind?"

Lizzy clenched her fists. "I have no ill wishes towards Mr. Collins and it does me no pleasure to make mother as unhappy as I have but marry Mr. Collins I cannot do, not in this life."

"I implore you, think this matter over, in the solitude of your room. Do your best to separate fantasy from reality. The world we live in is harsh and if marriage to Mr. Collins will protect you from that harshness, then it is my duty to see to it that you take up such an offer."

"Your mind is already made up to give me away, whatever I say at this point matters but little. This sickens me to my soul!" And with those words, Elizabeth rushed out of the door.

~0~

Marching angrily to Oakham Mount, Elizabeth crossed paths with Mr. Darcy at the base. The wealthy gentleman from the north, a house guest of Mr. Bingley, had insulted Elizabeth on their first acquaintance, saying she was not handsome to tempt him to dance. Elizabeth was not too keen on seeing him, especially after last night at the Netherfield Ball. She had challenged him with harsh questions that alluded to his history with Mr. Wickham, a militia soldier stationed in Meryton who was a charming man and who was cheated out of some inheritance by Mr. Darcy.

"Miss Elizabeth, you must forgive my boldness, but I must have a word with you."

"I am in a great hurry," Elizabeth replied coldly.

"You do know that all that Mr. Wickham has said to you about me is an attempt to soil my name. I am sure you do not have such a low opinion of me as to believe I would descend to such despicable tactics."

"I know not what you speak of Mr. Darcy."

"There is no need to pretend. I have after all known Wickham from the earliest days of my childhood and I know his character fully. He has surely said some terrible things about me and you confirmed my thoughts during our last meeting and even now as you greet me with cold civility. I would have thought that a woman with wit such as yourself would abstain from judging a matter till she has heard from both parties involved."

"The little I have heard is more than enough to draw a conclusion from, Mr. Darcy. I do not think there is anything you can tell me that can change my opinion of you in the slightest. I can see through your words and know your real reason for speaking to me."

"And what would that be?" Darcy's face was tight with anger.

"You're here to tarnish the reputation of Mr. Wickham, a great childhood friend of yours whom you discarded without many thoughts."

"Perhaps it is better that I relate the information to your eldest sister. Miss Bennet is far more amiable and less prompt to prejudice."

"Do you mean the same Jane whose image you sullied before Mr. Bingley?" Elizabeth's ire shot up, on Mr. Darcy's mentioning of Jane.

"I did no such thing. Who told you these terrible lies, I have never had any cause to speak ill of your sister. Miss Bennet is graciously mannered. I would have to be a brute of the worst kind to speak ill of her. You have been terribly misinformed and you do to me the very things you accuse me of. I shan't be ridiculed a second longer, I take my leave of you now, Madam." And with those words, he walked away.

Elizabeth wondered whether she had been wrong to refuse to hear Mr. Darcy's side of the story, but she brushed away the thought, not believing that a man as sincere-looking and agreeable as Mr. Wickham could utter falsehoods against his benefactors' son. She decided to turn back, to Longbourn, desiring urgently to speak with Jane. A few minutes later, she was cut short, however, by Mr. Collins.

"Where are you headed, my dear cousin?"

"Nowhere in particular," Elizabeth said. With Mr. Collins nearby, she would rather walk briskly back to Oakham Mount, to shake him off. "I'm in the mood for a stroll up the mountain and silent introspection."

"I love strolling and don't mind doing some introspection myself, do you mind my joining you?"

"No…I do not." She could not think of a way to dissuade him.

Pleased with Elizabeth's consent, Mr. Collins walked pompously beside her. He thought whether to forgive Elizabeth for her earlier childish and thoughtless rejections or to ride the wave of her sudden interest in him and then marry her friend Charlotte instead. The thought of Miss Lucas and her subservient character sent a thrill through him and his mood was lifted considerably and he spoke to Elizabeth in a friendly voice.

"What fine weather we have today and to think only last week it rained daily. My esteemed patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh would surely give her insightful words of wisdom that I have chosen to ask her for advice, for it was Lady Catherine who told me it would be the best time to travel and visit Longbourn this week. She is.."

Elizabeth was sick of hearing Mr. Collins fawning over his patroness and interrupted him. "This is wonderful weather indeed, only it won't last, we're in the last days of autumn, soon it will be all cold and dreary."

"Your pessimism kills my mood, let us enjoy the sun while it shines and think of the rain later. Such gloomy thoughts are not fitting for a young lady as pretty as yourself. Lady Catherine always advises against young girls to voice their opinion."

"Oh, you misunderstand me, Mr. Collins, I made an innocent observation. You must not take my words too seriously, I speak the thoughts of my heart and fancy myself a romantic so topics as dull as weather or rain sir up a passion in me."

Taking her words to be flirtatious, Mr. Collins said, "Well I certainly do take your words with a grain of salt, I have previously observed in you a tendency to be taken by fanciful ideas. I do not doubt that you would have high expectations of the person you are to marry…"

The word marriage made Lizzy flush brightly. Observing this, Mr. Collins took this to mean she had fallen for him and he continued with increased boldness. "…Your rejection of my initial proposal, though impertinent has been forgiven. I am certain you have been fully informed of the folly of your earlier decision by your parents. You are but a child and know not what is beneficial for you. I have decided to give you another chance to accept my proposal. You must hasten with your decision, for I must return to Lady Catherine's by Saturday and will need an answer before then."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed red with anger and she almost spat at his conceit. "I am afraid," she began, "I have no wish to marry you. Other women may find you suitable but to me, you are most disagreeable. It seems you only desire a girl who is willing to stroke your ego and I shall not be that girl."

Mr. Collins's face went white with horror, his eyes widened and his distress was apparent. "You rotten child, how dare you speak such heavy words at me! The fault is mine for taking pity on your wretched family and attempting to save an ingrate such as yourself from future ruin. I have borne your rude manners and the uncouth behaviours of your mother and sisters. You deserve the ruin that is to befall you!"

He who had been bearing what he considered to be insulting for the entirety of the day was boiling with rage. He scanned the path and being content that no one was around to observe his next actions, he lunged at Elizabeth, taking a firm grip off her arm and dragged her towards him.

Terrified, Elizabeth made to scream but her mouth was covered with a hand and she struggled fruitlessly.

Mr. Collins said, "You foolish girl, see how weak you are, you are no match to my strength." He tore at her hair, jerking Elizabeth's head back, "You know nothing about this world. Stubbornness will get you nowhere if it is aimed at a man of superior power. You will be mine one way or the other. Oh how happy I have imagined scarring your legs with burns, to bruise your abdomen with punches and to tie your neck with a collar, making you like a pet dog, to do what I demand!"

Mr. Collins dragged her roughly along the slopping lane. Elizabeth's fingers scratched his arm and she dug her feet on the soil but her fight against his strength was without success. Her screams were muffled by his palm and the thought that she might die at the hands of a monster who enjoyed torture weakened her. Her knees buckled. She prayed silently for rescue and bit her tongue against the pain of being dragged so roughly.

"You deserve some form of punishment for refusing my generous proposal with such disrespect," Mr. Collins laughed eerily. "It brings me immense pleasure to cause pain to girls, childish members of the weaker sex who treat me without reverence. I have girls kept in my cellar for such purposes. My slaves! I love to hit them, whip them, see them cry in pain and beg for my forgiveness. I am their king. There are so many I lost count. They are different from my lovers, women who warm my bed and my body. You, Elizabeth Bennet, do not merit to be my wife or lover!"

Elizabeth felt chilled to her bone. Had Mr. Collins kidnapped, tortured and killed many women? Would she be the next victim?

Mr. Collins pressed his mouth against her ears and breathed out more menacing words. "A recent addition is Daisy, a slave girl I picked up from a tavern. She dropped down the drinks on my table without batting her eyes or a bow to my patronage. Such contempt! For that, she has been locked in my cellar for a few months, enduring my daily teaching for obedience. You, Elizabeth Bennet, would join her next, as my servant, while I bestow the honour of being my wife to Miss Lucas. She shows me much greater respect."

Elizabeth gasped for air and looked around for a weapon she could use. Her eyes settled on a stone and though she was still being dragged, she managed to reach it and aim it at his head.


	2. A metallic parasol

_A.N. Thank you, Sacredwoman, GemmaDarcy, Liysyl, Gabyhyatt, Guest, Kiwipride, AnaMa, Beatrizwolfstark, Happy Lizzy, MrsSP9, mangosmum, for commenting. Sorry for the cliff-hanging ending for the last chapter. The appearance of a sadistic clergyman has sparked some outrages. The story is not everyone's cup of tea but I hope there are enough readers out there who like this story. Mangosum, yes, the story is posted at Austen Underground too. Happy reading and look out for the clues I left in this chapter about Mr. Collins! I am no historian so bear with me for any mistakes. Constructive comments are much appreciated!_

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**Chapter 2**

Elizabeth swung the stone at Mr. Collins's head and he fell backward, clutching his head in pain and surprise. As she panted and crawled away, Mr. Collins howled and lunged towards her, grabbing her throat. Elizabeth felt a burning sensation on her neck and saw stars, blackness and image of her family flashed before her eyes. Strangely it was the anger at the memory of her family's improper behaviour at Netherfield ball in front of Mr. Darcy that gave her a burst of strength. She raised her hand and took another more aggressive shot at Mr. Collins's head with the stone, knocking him completely off her. Elizabeth immediately rose from the ground and kicked his body several times, before collapsing into shivers and tears and horrible cries of pain and disgust a few yards away from the evil man.

Soon, she stared at the motionless body and realized she had killed Mr. Collins. Fear raced in her mind. She was a murderer. She must run. Gathering her strength once again, she stood up shakily and dashed across the hill, towards the other side of Oakham Mount, away from Longbourn. She must not bring shame to her parents and sisters. The Bennet name would forever be tainted, with a murderer in the family, shackled, trialled and hanged. The thick bush and branches scratched and tore at her clothes and skin. She did not care. The pain brought tears to her eyes but she kept running, away from her family, her friends and the life she had known for years, into the unknown future, all alone.

Urgh!

Suddenly, Elizabeth's feet stepped onto the empty ground.

Her body dropped.

She screamed.

Her hands tried to grab onto the bush, the grass, the soil, whatever she could, to break the fall. It was not a deep trench on the hill as she had feared. It was some sort of a pit. She had fallen no more than three yards down. Still, she landed on the bottom of the ground with a thump. Her shoulders hit the side and throbbed with pain. She saw a burst of colours, as her head hit something hard.

Minutes later, or was it hours, Elizabeth felt the ache in her body lessened. She scrambled up her feet. With her hands gripping the wall, she peered into the empty darkness and drew in a deep breath. The air was icy but crisp. Could there be an opening of a cave hidden behind the blackness? She cast her eyes up the shaft to the sky. It was too high for her to reach it, especially when her body was aching like hell. Between the blackness or the brightness of the harsh world outside, Elizabeth chose to limp into the unknown.

Slowly, she edged into the pit, with her hands touching the side of the wall, guiding her forward.

Inch by inch, she moved further into the cave.

Breath by breath, she inhaled the fresh smell of earth.

A touch of dim light brushed the blackness into grey. Cautiously, Elizabeth walked further into the tunnel, towards the source of the beam.

Abruptly, her hands felt a corner.

Her feet followed.

As she turned her body to the right, an orange light swallowed her whole immediately, blinding her for a moment. Elizabeth squinted her eyes to peer at the glow. She gasped for air, marveled by the vision before her.

It was a most magnificent sight, from a parasol-like thing, in gold, hung loosely from the wall, spinning and spewing out many rays of light that rivalled the sun. Elizabeth pressed her face against the wall and moved closer to examine it from the side.

The metallic thing was unlike anything she ever saw. It was a parasol-like object with many odd-shaped holes that shot out bright spurts of light. Elizabeth felt a strong compulsion to touch it. Gingerly she stretched out her fingers to brush along the surface. As Elizabeth caressed the substance, she felt a lightness overtake her body and the sunshine embraced her whole body. She forgot about Mr. Collins, Mr. Darcy and her family and became lost in this feeling of weightlessness. The walls of the cave around her began to swirl and the aurora spun around her brightly. She felt needles puncturing her hands, her legs and then all over her body. Finally, everything went black.

~0~

It was a cold day at Netherfield and a servant was heating up the fireplace. The Netherfield master was leaving for London but he had been delayed for about three hours. Now the entire party was to go with Mr. Bingley as well. All the servants were in a frenzy to pack for the ladies and gentlemen. Darcy sat, cross-legged nurturing a dose of resentment against Wickham and Miss Elizabeth while half-listening to a conversation between Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst.

"Louisa, do you mind keeping it a little quiet, you both have bickered enough for one morning, don't you think?" said Bingley, slightly annoyed, to his eldest sister.

"Oh brother, you have been far too mean to us these days. You seem to be ill at ease with our presence and have made no move to hide it. What could we have possibly done wrong?"

Caroline, the youngest of the Bingleys, replied Louisa, "I fear his anger may be directed at me. Perhaps I'm not ladylike enough for him, I forget, Charles has taken a liking to the Bennet girl, he cannot possibly be upset at my manners if he fancies Miss Bennet a Lady."

"You seem to have taken great interest in my feelings of recent, which you usually don't, and you chatter endlessly about that Miss Bennet, could it be that you're merely jealous of a…certain country girl?" Bingley crooked his head to Mr. Darcy for a second.

Caroline blushed deeply and felt a rush of anger, but the fury wasn't directed at Mr. Darcy whom she could hardly help but love, his wealth mostly. She felt a searing hatred for Miss Bennet's younger sister Elizabeth and this disgust was fueled by jealousy. But she smiled sweetly and said, "Are you talking about Miss Elizabeth? Such silly allusions you make, Charles. How could I possibly be jealous of such an uncouth woman? I believe you mean to hurt me by saying such a thing."

"Maybe, or maybe not. I simply wish for you to keep quiet so I may finish this letter before it is time for us to depart. You talk too much."

"I most certainly do not. Mr. Darcy, say something in my defence. Do I really talk too much?"

"Well, I won't go as far as to compare you to clouds of woodpeckers."

"You see, Charles? Mr. Darcy agrees with me that I am no chatterbox, you are mean."

Darcy rolled his eyes about Miss Bingley's drawing him to defend her and her misunderstanding of his comparison. He found her sound as annoying as the brief high-pitched trills, nasal churrs or wails of a woodpecker. Darcy ignored her further and began to observe the weather from a nearby window, wondering whether it would be wise to travel that day. He then tried to focus on his book but again he was interrupted, this time by Mr. Hurst. Mr. Hurst, Lousia's husband and a fashionable man with barely any brains to work with walked into the room and gave Darcy a loud greeting.

"Hello, Darcy," he said grumpily. Darcy mumbled in reply, annoyed at having another talkative to deal with. He was in the worst of moods after his encounter with Miss Elizabeth earlier and had no desire to speak to anyone, his tolerance was wearing thin.

"Darcy, what are you doing on a cold morning such as this with a book as large as that. You look like you're preparing to write an encyclopedia," Hurst said this with a chuckle, enjoying his own jest, but Darcy ignored him and continued reading.

"Come on," Hurst said, moving so to stand in front of him, "You cannot possibly be enjoying this book. Come play a game of cards with me, now that is sure to be entertaining. What do you say?" Darcy ignored him still and in a last desperate attempt for attention, Hurst tapped Darcy on the shoulder.

"Is it so impossible for me to have a moment of peace with my book without being continually interrupted and disturbed? I am leaving the room, please make no attempt to follow me." And with that, Mr. Darcy left the room, leaving a stunned Mr. Hurst and a heartbroken Miss Bingley. Darcy went into the library and Mr. Bingley was hot on his heels.

"What is the matter with you, my friend?"

"I am sorry I have been so rude to your family. I am strangely upset this morning."

"Let us talk then, what troubles you?"

Darcy clamped his mouth shut and shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on, should I pour you a drink?"

Darcy shook his head and stared out of the windows. Bingley poured himself a glass of port and dropped onto the chair in front of Mr. Darcy.

"A wolf in sheepskin and a girl who fancies this wolf a lamb," Darcy grumbled.

"You speak in parables my friend, you know I am not as smart as you are. My library visits are for the purpose of catharsis and do not in any way involve reading a book."

"You are too hard on yourself, you are smarter than you let anyone believe. It is the Bennet girl who troubles me."

"Jane?" asked Bingley, sat up straighter, now very alert.

"No, not Miss Bennet, the other one, Miss Elizabeth. I have no business with Miss Bennet, my friend, do not be worried."

Despite Bingley's jest to his sister, he did not really think that Darcy's attention was engaged by Jane's younger sister. "Miss Elizabeth? When did you take an interest in her?"

"Who says I've taken an interest in her?" Darcy protested, his eyes darted away from his friend, towards the fireplace.

"Well, now that I think about it, you have been going on about her eyes and how fine and bright they are to Caroline. I just never took it to be love, until now of course."

"Love?" Darcy asked, now thoroughly dumbfounded. "Who said anything about love? I do not love Miss Elizabeth, no doubt she is a fine witty lady and quite impertinent but I take no interest in her or her affairs."

"What then is the matter that concerns Miss Elizabeth, which troubles you so?"

"It concerns George Wickham." At the mention of Wickham, both faces went red and the conversation took on a less lively tone.

"What has Wickham done this time? Why does he continually give you trouble?"

"He has ruined my name to Miss Elizabeth and told her some dreadful lies and half-truths about me. She thinks me a monster and so does the rest of Meryton. But that isn't what truly troubles me. The problem is that I feel a rage growing inside me and also a…should I say a passi…no…I cannot explain it!"

"A passion?"

Darcy shook his head vehemently. "I now know that I am not very much liked at Meryton, or anywhere I go for that matter. And that is something that has never bothered me in the slightest. But it is very astonishing that I should be so affected by the opinion of a lady I did not even consider handsome enough to dance with. It is a bizarre feeling and quite torturous."

"So the problem here is that you care what Miss Elizabeth thinks of you? There is nothing at all strange about that, it is normal to meet a lady you like and want her to have a high opinion of you."

"I do not like her, Bingley, how many times do I have to tell you? I just don't want her to think I'm abominable."

"Why, if you truly don't like her, would you care what she thinks? You've never bothered with what ladies think, even those with more money than sense, why is it that this woman whom you consider beneath you burns in your heart so? I say that you admire her. It is as simple as that. If you do not love her, you would not care."

Darcy murmured to himself. "Is that what this outlandish feeling is? No, you are wrong. I do NOT feel a fire burning in my belly, threatening with great violence to burst out."

"Well, I think the poet is protesting too much," Bingley said, laughing. He had never seen Darcy in a more sorry state.

"I think you are projecting your feeling on me," Darcy growled. "This is what you feel for Miss Bennet!"

"My feeling! I think of Jane all the time and can barely sleep. I always want to be beside her and to breathe the same air that she does. She is a beautiful soul without a single blemish and has a heart so kind that I suspect her to be an angel. It makes no sense and has only caused me to behave foolishly but I really do love this perfect lady, perhaps more than is appropriate. It killed me when Caroline told me Jane does not reciprocate my affection."

Why did Miss Elizabeth accuse Darcy of being unkind to Miss Bennet? Could it be that he had been wrong in agreeing with Miss Bingley and advising Bingley that Miss Bennet did not love him as Bingley loved her? Could it be possible that Miss Bennet did love Bingley? Darcy's head was too muddled to think straight. "So how do you suppress it then this…love of a lady."

"Oh, I do not attempt to manage it. I find that giving in to it is a much more sensible option. It burns you and tosses you around, but at the end of the day, it makes you feel alive and becomes the blood in your veins."

"Now who is being poetic? How about we go for a short trip when we get to London, to a foreign country and distract you from such emotional pain?" Darcy said.

"A foreign country will not stop me from thinking of my angel, it will only stir up my affections for Miss Bennet and cause me to wish her to be there with me."

"Yes, like if I fell asleep and woke up after seventy years, I would still have such passion, rage against Miss Elizabeth," Darcy whispered to himself. "Tell me, Charles, are you really convinced that she does not love you? Miss Bennet truly is a perfect being, according to Miss Elizabeth."

"Well, Jane hasn't exactly responded to my subtle advances and…perhaps I am too timid? Okay maybe not perhaps, I am indeed a coward and whenever I feel the urge to confess my feelings to her, which is nearly all the time, I feel as though my tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth or twisted into knots and I cannot bring myself to say it."

"Perhaps I was wrong to advise you to forget about Miss Bennet. Perhaps she does love you and Elizabeth is right, maybe I am a disdainful brute. Maybe I am like Caliban, unable to bear the sight of love and quenching it like a beast of the night dosing every flame in sight."

"I think you are a very misunderstood fellow, my dear friend. You are not a monster and Miss Elizabeth does not see that because she does not know you. It's as simple as that. You gave me that advice because you did not want to see me hurt or trampled on. Your intentions are good and that is all that matters."

"Thank you, Charles, you should talk to Miss Bennet. But not now, I dare say we need that trip to London more than we care to admit. Let us go to London, ease our minds and then decide whether we should return here or move on."

"That sounds like a good idea. The trip to London will help us put things into perspective and help stop Caroline's torrents of complaints. It is crazy how a trip to the country has affected us as strongly as this."

"Indeed," Darcy said in agreement.

With that, the two friends ended the conversation and went about getting ready for the trip.

~0~

Elizabeth awoke to find herself burning up in a bed. Her mouth was a ball of cotton, and her head was pounding. Her eyes scanned the room and found that it was about two-third of the size of her bedroom in Longbourn. On one corner of the ceiling, there were ropes nailed on the wall. Deep coloured skirts in a bell-shape, men shirts with puffed sleeves in stripes and patterns, stockings and other items of clothing hung from the ropes. On another corner, a few small paintings with frightening nature scenes and malevolent looking ornaments decorated the wall. There were a washbasin and a small desk by the windows. Elizabeth struggled to recognize her surroundings. She was unfamiliar with the place. Suddenly, she remembered the cave and panicked. Every inch of her body ached. She let out a loud scream in fright.

In a matter of seconds, the door of the room swung open. A dark-skinned woman walked into the room.

"Where...?"

"Ah, you're finally awake."

"Where am I?"

"In the guest room."

"Pardon me, but I have never…seen a person like..." The woman wore a dark brown skirt with horizontal stripes and a man's shirt type of thing, loose in the bosom with pleats down the front.

"You mean a Negro?"

"How is it that I find myself here?" The woman's friendly smile emboldened Elizabeth to voice the question, for the memories of the cave and Mr. Collins were still fresh in her mind.

"I found you in a cave, near Rock Creek, when I was collecting herbs for medicine. Caused me a lot of trouble to carry you all the way to my wagon. I hid you under a blanket. Risky business too, a black woman carrying an unconscious white lady. Could have gotten me into real trouble."

"Rock Creek? Where is it? I heard about your people. But, they are mostly in the New World."

"Surely, you know we are free people now." She giggled. "And you must have bumped your head pretty hard. We are in the New World!"

How could that be! Elizabeth raised her hand to my bosom. Under the warm blanket, the presence of the familiar texture of a nightdress calmed her. "Pardon me for being so rude, your face sparks no memories. I must be quite far from…" Elizabeth was about to say Meryton when she thought about not wanting the woman to know where she had come from, in case the woman was a devil in disguise. Elizabeth mentioned her uncle's place in London instead. "…Cheapside."

"Cheapside, Virginia? Indeed, that is awfully far from Washington." Hearing that she was in America, over 3,000 miles away in another country, Elizabeth passed out again.


	3. Greatly troubled

_A.N. Thank you, Colleen, Happy Lizzy, Liysyl, GemmaDarcy, Beatriz, Graciela and guest, for commenting. You will know the year Lizzy has travelled to soon. I hope Lizzy's experience in the future will help define her. Happy reading and remember to send me some encouragements. I feed on your reviews!_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

When Mr. Darcy had finished getting ready, he stood outside in the warmth of the sun, for the weather had changed. He thought to himself how lovely it would be to spend the entirety of the trip on horseback. He was particularly fond of riding on horseback and had never liked carriages. Soon he was joined by the rest of the Bingleys and Hursts. They waited for the servants to bring the carriages and the horses. As soon as the servants came, they departed.

Bingley was meant to join Darcy on horseback but had failed to complete the sorting of his documents and resorted instead to completing it in the comfort of a carriage so that Darcy was left riding Prospero alone. Mr. Darcy could not stop himself from thinking of Elizabeth and wanted very badly to hold her and confess his feelings, if he honestly had any. But for now, the heat of the afternoon sun kept him at peace. After about a quarter of an hour, he noticed that there was some bickering noise in the carriage and it came to a halt.

Soon everyone had come down from their carriage and all were looking confused.

"What is the matter?" asked Darcy, dismounted.

"I cannot find my ruby bracelet. One of the rubies loosened last night and I intend to examine it and have it taken to the jeweler at Bond Street today. I told my maid to put it in my reticule. It is my prized jewel and I cannot find it," said Caroline.

"Let us ask your maid," Bingley said. Miss Bingley's maid replied negative, her mistress had not asked her to put the ruby bracelet in her reticule. The maid had not seen it since before the ball.

"Perhaps it is in your jewelry box, the servants should search the boxes," said Mrs. Hurst.

Bingley and Hurst groaned and complained as the servants brought down their boxes and began searching.

"Perhaps it was stolen," said Caroline, standing under a tree with her arms folded across her chest, observing the servants bustling around.

"And who would steal your jewelry? Only Hurst's trusted servants have access to family rooms and I strongly doubt that it was any of them," Bingley replied, annoyed.

"I have no reason to suspect our servants but I do have one person in mind."

"Who?" Mr. and Mrs. Hurst asked in unison.

"Who else but that wild girl Lydia Bennet!" Upon hearing Miss Bingley high-pitch accusation, Darcy went to smooth his horse that had become fidgety. He stared at Bingley who looked both confused and upset.

"What motive would Miss Lydia have for stealing your jewelry?" Bingley said.

"I saw her loitering outside the guest room on the first floor last night during the ball. She said she was lost on her way to the ladies. I think she had been to the family quarter when we were busy hosting the ball. These Bennet girls are all very improper! What if Lydia Bennet has a mania for stealing?"

"You jump to the conclusion," Bingley protested.

"You forget Charles, that this is a country girl we are dealing with. And her mother! I heard Mrs. Bennet speculating with her friends that Jane Bennet would soon make a great alliance in marriage and would throw her sisters to the path of other rich men. How abominable! Lydia Bennet, her mother's favourite, desires wealth and status and would do anything to acquire even a little bit of both. You see how her elder sister Miss Eliza threw herself upon Mr. Darcy to lure him into dancing with her. Mr. Darcy only dances with Louisa and me, and never dances with some unknown ladies before."

Darcy went red in the face and became enraged. Miss Bingley had no right to comment on whom he danced with, hint that he had a closer relationship with the Bingley sisters or disparage Miss Elizabeth in front of the servants.

"I see that this is just another spurt of jealousy on your part," Bingley said. "How very distasteful."

"Jealousy? Why would I be jealous of such a crass creature?"

"You seem to be the only one who sees vulgarity and nastiness in the Bennets, Miss Bingley," Darcy commented. "Your theatrics are becoming more unbearable by the day and I want to hear no more of it."

Unable to bear censure from Mr. Darcy, Caroline went into the carriage in a manner that showed that she was very cross. Soon after, her box of jewelry was found, along with the bracelet, much to Bingley's relief. They resumed the journey.

It began to occur to Darcy that Miss Bingley was obsessed with him. It was not a thought that pleased him, he tolerated her as Mr. Bingley's sister but did not like her in the least bit. She was unpleasant and spoiled, a woman who was unable to comprehend not getting her own way. Though she was pretty and dressed smartly in the usual society way, Darcy only had his eyes for Elizabeth. Even if he wasn't already burning with love for Miss Elizabeth, he neither fancied nor admired Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley's dramatics did nothing but exasperated him. He hoped that he would see very little of her in London.

As he thought of these things, he did not realize that he had begun to ride Prospero absent-mindedly at a greater pace and onto a narrow path. He had lost sight of the carriages and must be at a considerable distance ahead of them. Once this dawned on him, he began to slow down and tried to find his way to the main road, in an attempt to rejoin with the Bingleys, when all of sudden a deer came running out from between a cluster of trees.

Prospero became frightened and trotted from what it thought to be a predator. It galloped into a field. Darcy tried without success to gain control over the horse. Prospero was pumping with fear and did not notice its master's ministration. It darted on at a terrible speed, threw Darcy off and took off as fast as lightning.

Darcy landed with a dull throb in his left arm, luckily on some ground with very dense grass and sustained no injuries. When he sat up and scanned the environment, he found himself in a field near the base of Oakham Mount. He marveled that the day had taken such a turn to place him in his present predicament. He dusted off the dirt on his clothes and searched for his horse. It occurred to him that he had ventured, though involuntarily, quite far from his party. He ran in the direction he thought his horse had galloped away. After nearly half an hour, he saw in the distance a body lying on the ground as though unconscious. Alarmed, Darcy immediately dashed towards the person to see if there was any form of assistance he could render.

Blood! There was so much blood.

Suppressing the bile that rose up to his throat, Darcy moved carefully near the body.

It was Mr. Collins! Darcy was not too familiar with the man but the man had introduced himself to Darcy last night. It was Miss Elizabeth's cousin and the pastor of Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Darcy crouched down carefully by Mr. Collins and checked his pulse. He then crashed to the ground in shock and stunned silence upon realizing that Mr. Collins was dead.

What made it all worse was the blood, so much blood. "He…", Darcy said to himself, "is murdered!".

When Darcy gathered himself and inspected the body once more, what he saw frightened him half to death. From Mr. Collins's right shoulder, a garnet cross that undoubtedly belonged to Miss Elizabeth peeked out and sparkled in the afternoon sun. Darcy had seen it adorned her neck. He had stared at it and admired her with it. His face creased with fear and worry. "Elizabeth, what has happened to you?"

~0~

"I beg your pardon, did you say Washington? That is quite impossible, I entered no ship, I cannot possibly be in America. I find your mockery of me disdainful and demand to be taken home at once!"

"Poor girl, you must have hit your head hard. A pretty lady such as yourself should not be out in the woods at Rock Creek, not to talk of the caves. Are you visiting from England? Do tell me where your family has taken residence. I would do well to drop you there immediately, for I have no desire to mingle with a white woman longer than necessary. I'd rather stay out of race issues, with the whole Plessy matter."

"Your speech confuses me, I know not of a family residence in America, neither do I know a Plessy."

"Oh, but have you not heard how Plessy bought for himself a first-class ticket in the white-only men's railway car. What a brave man, facing the white in such a manner, how bold, how agreeable, how…"

Elizabeth's head span and winced at the confusion.

"Sorry," the lady said. "I should not go on and on. Pardon me, What is your name? I'm Lucy."

"I am Elizabeth…" Elizabeth thought for a second before presenting the name of their maid at Longbourn as her surname, for she feared that this Lucy Lady might be malevolent. She had even begun to suspect that the woman worked for Mr. Collins. "…Hill. Elizabeth Hill."

"Hill? What a funny coincidence! My last name is also Hill. I'm Lucy Hill."

"Yes," Elizabeth said drily, not believing in such fate. "Funny indeed, still you must help me to my home. My poor family will be greatly troubled, oh poor Jane, poor father, mother's poor nerves." It suddenly occurred to her, she could never go back to Longbourn. She had killed a man. Her heart ached and she asked despondently, "For how long have I been unconscious?"

"A night has passed since I brought you here, but fret not, think little of all this till your mind is well adjusted. You seem to have gone through a lot. I have not reported the incident to the authority, as they are not much…let us say, the least said about them, the better. You must recover fully if you are to return home."

Elizabeth stared at Lucy, not understanding her mysterious expression when she half jested, half derided the authority.

"I strongly suspect some measure of foul play here," Elizabeth exclaimed. "how can you possibly expect me to believe that, when you babbled on and on about race issues or railway car, whatever they really are. If this is some mean trick that Mr. Collins has set you up to, then you must stop it at once. I am from a respectable home and expect to be treated with some courtesy. Your mockery disturbs me badly, I am so confused that thoughts spin aimlessly inside my head. Oh, how I long for Longbourn!" Then she closed her eyes again.

Lucy ran to fetch a wet cloth and attempted unsuccessfully to rouse Elizabeth. Finally giving up, she contented herself with the sound of Elizabeth's steady breath and left the room to perform some other chore. Outside Lucy's house, Washington was alive and bustling with energy. The city was full of shouts and cries and the sound of activities while Elizabeth slept right on.

~0~

Darcy was lost as to what to do. He was worried and confused but more importantly, he understood the delicate position he was now in. Naturally, his first thought was for himself, would he be implicated? Shouldn't he find his party and head to London to protect his integrity? He felt that would be the best decision since he was planning to leave anyway and only happened upon the corpse by accident, but seeing Elizabeth's garnet cross had a profound effect on him. How could he possibly consider escaping when Elizabeth, whom he'd only realized he was in love with, was in mortal danger … or was perhaps already dead. The thought sent shivers running through him. Darcy shook his head and drew in a deep breath. He then gathered himself and decided that he would have to act fast. Heading to the Longbourn house would be the best thing to do. On his way, he was happy to find Prospero wandering around.

Mr. Bennet paced his study impatiently, Elizabeth had missed lunch. Jane, Mary and he worried. He had hoped that she was with her best friend Charlotte and had sent a servant to the Lucas' to discreetly find out if Elizabeth was there. The servant had come back with negative news and now he paced impatiently considering what his next move should be.

Mrs. Bennet walked in suddenly and burst into a rant in a tone that was coated with ridiculous imagination. "Perhaps Lizzy is secretly having an affair with Mr. Collins and they have met in a secluded place. How shameful that would be." Mr. Bennet tried without any success to calm her but she continued her diatribe with increased melodrama. "How can you tell me to be at peace when my daughter is not home in time for lunch. If it turns out that she is improper with her cousin, think of how much shame that would bring this family?"

"Calm down, Mrs. Bennet, you gain nothing by troubling yourself so. We both know how Elizabeth is driven by wanderlust. She is a spirit for adventure. The rooster always finds its way home and that's what will happen this time. She will be back before the end of the day."

"How can you be so sure? She has never gone away so long without first informing us, she is sensible enough to know that you would be worried about her. She would not do this to you and you know it."

"You are prone to overthinking things, go to your room and rest. When you wake up, Lizzy would have returned." After a few more minutes of raving, Mrs. Bennet finally left the study and went upstairs to rest. She summoned Jane and Lydia to her rooms to help calm her nerves. Kitty followed hot their heels.

Mr. Bennet returned to the parlour and continued to look out of the windows and paced there.

A few moments later, Mary ran in and announced, "Mr. Darcy is on his way to the house, he is almost at the gate."

"Mr. Darcy?" said Mr. Bennet, "What brings him here? And uninvited? I thought the whole Netherfield party had left for London, as Miss Bingley wrote to Jane this morning. This is very strange."

"Indeed," Mary murmured.

"Perhaps he brings us news of Lizzy. I had not considered it till now but she could have gone to Netherfield," Mr. Bennet said and then added in jest. "Perhaps she forged a friendship there with Bingley's sisters or maybe Mr. Darcy himself."

"I consider that highly unlikely," Mary replied, "The Bingley sisters look down upon us and Lizzy detests Mr. Darcy as she rightly should, such a prideful man."

They heard the main door being opened and hurried to greet Mr. Darcy when he was shown into the parlour, curious as to the reason for his visit and silently hoping he brought news of Elizabeth. When they saw him, however, they were shocked, He was white as a sheet and his gentlemanly clothes were soiled and filthy. He looked a sorry mess.

"Mr. Bennet, I am sorry for appearing in such a horrid state. I believe I bring grave news. But first, I must ask after Miss Elizabeth's welfare. Is she at home, for I am greatly troubled?"

Mr. Bennet was confused by Mr. Darcy's high emotion. The wealthy gentleman from Derbyshire was known to be cold and haughty since he came to the neighbourhood. "She is not. Lizzy did not return home for lunch and when I heard of your arrival, I assumed you came to inform us that she had decided to spend the day at Netherfield. Do you have any information on where she is?" Mary stood by Mr. Bennet's side, waiting nervously for Darcy's answer.

"I was meant to travel to London today with Mr. Bingley. We were to quit Netherfield for a month to handle some private affairs and on the way, my horse got scared off the path by a wild animal. I lost control of Prospero and it threw me off. In an attempt to be reunited with my party, I wandered toward Oakham Mount in search of my horse when I saw the most dreadful thing. It saddens me to tell you this but Mr. Collins, who I believe was your cousin, is dead."

At this, Mr. Bennet went white with horror, Mary asked Mr. Darcy what he had just said. He repeated it and she joined her father in stunned silence. Mr. Bennet then asked, "What happened? How? I do not understand. Mr. Collins dead? How did it happen?"

"I do not know but it was surely a murder, there was blood on Mr. Collins's head, chest and his clothes and the grave news is…beneath his shoulder I found… I do not know how I am to say this. The words are difficult."

"Tell us, please tell us, have pity on us and do not hold us in suspense," said Mary, who was quite visibly upset.

" I found Miss Elizabeth's garnet cross beside his corpse. And I believe she might have somehow been harmed…"

Mr. Bennet turned to Mary, who had started sobbing and was very grieved by the shocking news. He embraced Mary and told her to calm down. He also said that she was not to mention what she had just heard to anyone.

Turning his attention back to Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bennet asked, "Where did you say you found the body of Mr. Collins?"

"On a grassy slope, right below Oakham Mount."

"That's very strange indeed, Mr. Collins was not familiar with Meryton. He had not been to Oakham Mount, as far as we know," Mary commented.

"I wonder why he would wander all the way there, and he was with Lizzy apparently?" Mr. Bennet said.

"I believe so, her garnet cross…," Darcy brought it out of his coat pocket and showed Mr. Bennet. The master of Longbourn took it and examined it with a sad expression on his face.

"…was right beneath him, almost as though Mr. Collins intentionally lay on it to hide it."

"Could there have been some sort of struggle?" Mary murmured.

"And Lizzy had to resort to extreme violence? She might have accidentally killed Mr. Collins," Mr. Bennet said, his voice shaking as he spoke. "This is too much for me to bear!" He exclaimed. Then he shuddered, "Everything in Longbourn was fine until this odious Collins fellow came along! And now he's dead, while staying with us, and with Lizzy missing. How dreadful a tragedy this is!"


	4. He must find her!

_A.N. Thank you, GemmaDarcy, Happy Lizzy, Ilysyl, Nanciellen and Guest for reviewing. I'm happy that no one will miss the evil Collins. I haven't thought about the next heir yet. Thank you for reminding me. I will put it in my "to write" list when I revise the story draft. I read all your comments and try to respond to them in the story. Now, time for another chapter. Progress is a bit slow. I hope you still enjoy this. Happy reading and do remember to review!_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Elizabeth felt the sun warming her body. She thought about what had transpired during her conversation with Lucy and could not believe it. But she told herself she must not let her worries and nerve get the better of her like her mother. When she opened her eyes again and took a good look around the room, the frightening small paintings and malevolent looking ornaments had lost their former evilness. Instead, they radiated with warm earthy colour that invoked a deep sense of zeal and joy. Elizabeth got off the surprisingly large bed and ran to the window, longing for fresh air and curious to see where she was. In the place of green fields and English country houses, Elizabeth saw rows and rows of one and two-storey buildings in brown. Was she in London? The area bore some resemblance to Cheapside and yet the buildings were slightly lower. Some of them had funny looking stairs walking up to the front door. Was she really in America, more than 3,000 miles from England, and not in a dream? Yet something more was off, she had a feeling that something truly disastrous had happened and the thought scared her to her bone.

Elizabeth went back to the bed in deep thought. She worked to gather her memories to understand the events that had passed. How was it that she found herself here, how bizarre, how singular. She suddenly remembered the metallic thing she had seen at the cave, how it made her feel light as a feather. She wondered at what it could have done to land her in America. Such an event was entirely beyond belief. And why her? Why now? Was it punishment for her crime against Mr. Collins? Not only would Elizabeth never to see her family, but she would also be banished from her birthplace, her country, for taking the life of another person. Or was this all a nightmare or an act staged by Mr. Collins's lackey? She decided that Mrs. Lucy Hill, or was it Miss Lucy Hill, should not be so easily trusted. Elizabeth would play the fool until she could get some answers.

Lucy then came into the room. On seeing Elizabeth awake, she gave praise to God and asked whether Elizabeth would like to eat. Elizabeth agreed with caution. They moved to what Lucy called the living room. It was smaller than Longbourn's dining room or that of Uncle Edward's in Cheapside. The room was again decorated with rich colours and vibrant-patterned furnishing. Everything was tidy and in good order, pointing to Lucy's good housekeeping. Lucy brought out two simple dishes of food from a room out at the back. Elizabeth was surprised that Lucy seemed to live in the house alone. Was her master away from home? Settled into a comfortable chair, Elizabeth ate the unfamiliar food slowly. There was something that looked like potatoes and yet sweet in taste. Elizabeth remembered reading something about the Portuguese and sweet potatoes in a book from her father's study. Could this be sweet potatoes? There were also some green beans and odd-looking nuts in the dishes, with only a small amount of white meat that tasted like pork. Elizabeth asked Lucy about herself, wanting to know whether she was acquainted with the wicked Mr. Collins. Elizabeth was happy that Lucy seemed like a talkative woman.

"Well, I already told you my name, I am the daughter of a slave, born on a plantation in Virginia. A lovely white couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hill, had trained me as a maid and companion to their daughter Ruth. They gave me an education and made sure I learned alongside her, mostly so I could help darling Ruth practice without the tutors, but also because they had developed a particular fondness for me. They were good Christians, you see. Old-time religion folk. They saw no reason I should not learn how to read and write. They saw that I was educated and had full access to their library."

Elizabeth was astounded by this idea. Although she had taught some tenant children in Longbourn to read and write, she did not know that white owners in America would do such a thing for their slaves. Sadly, she had not read enough literature or news from the New World.

"I would do all my chores and run all the errands quickly," Lucy continued cheerfully. "then head straight to the library. I read the most fascinating books and soon became curious about the world and medicine. I soon became more knowledgeable than even Ruth, who had access to the very best tutors. I desired more than anything to go to a university and once the time came, Mr. Hill granted me my freedom. I was most fortunate to have been bought by such kind people."

"University!" Elizabeth had been attended to all her life and could not understand what it must be like to be born into slavery. And yet she could relate what Lucy had said to the lives of the servants in Longbourn. The longer she thought about it, the more distressed she became. Lucy and Longbourn servants did not have the freedom to do whatever they wanted to do or read whatever books they wished to learn. How very fortunate Elizabeth was. But Lucy was talking about university. How could that be? Women were not allowed to attend university in England. The rich ladies like Miss Bingley were educated in seminary that taught, in Elizabeth's view, rather useless subjects. They were never taught science, medicine or agriculture, like men did, in university. "Did you really get to attend university?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, I did! I attended Oberlin College in Ohio, an abolitionist college that admitted black people and other people of color. I graduated with a degree in Arts in 82 and became a teacher. I chose that instead of medicine because it was an easier path. I love to teach and am thrilled to inspire young people of a similar background as I. But I have been studying as many medical textbooks as possible since my time in Ohio and treating patients informally who came to me through my school, church and social circles."

Elizabeth went white with shock and nearly passed out again, "1882?" Oh, dear God! What could possibly be going on? How was it that I found myself in 1882, Elizabeth thought.

Lucy frowned, looking much confused. "What quarrel do you have with 82?"

"How is it I found myself in America in 1882!" Elizabeth forgot all about being calm and almost screamed out the words.

"It isn't 1882, tis 1892. Do you really not know what year it is, or are you simply confused, due to an accident? It has been 10 years since my graduation. I have been a teacher in Ohio and a Principal at Dunbar High School in Washington. Today is 28th August." Lucy voice lowered, laced with frustration, Or was it sadness? "I should return to school soon, but I have taken some personal leave, since I was demoted right before the end of the last term."

~0~

Back in Longbourn, Darcy said to a shaken Mr. Bennet. "Sir, you must calm down, we have to act quickly if we are to protect Miss Elizabeth or determine her whereabouts. I am curious as to why you assume Miss Elizabeth would have any motive for killing Mr. Collins."

"Well there is none that I know of, I must be out of my mind to even think of that for a second. It is like you say an "assumption" except…perhaps she was afraid to marry Mr. Collins and they got into some kind of argument? I really doubt that she would kill him to keep from marrying him, that seems to be quite a wild speculation. Lizzy has always been fiery in her attitude but never, not even once has she been driven to violence… she wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I also do not believe Miss Elizabeth would be violent. She is of such a kind and considerate nature," Darcy commented. "But the reality is Miss Elizabeth's garnet cross was found there and that could be enough evidence to have her detained. We must find her at once and we must not forget to create an alibi for her. To protect her reputation, we need to have a solid alibi that proves that she was not even in Meryton at the time."

"Forgive me, Mr. Darcy, but my mind is filled with worry and so many racing thoughts, how do you propose we go about this?"

Before Darcy could respond, they were interrupted by Mary who had stopped sobbing and was listening to their conversation. "Excuse me, Father, but I do have some information that might prove relevant if you would allow that I say it."

"Go ahead," Mr. Bennet said eagerly.

"The day before the Netherfield ball, I was walking towards Meryton and got separated from Kitty and Lydia. I came across a girl sobbing in the field. From a distance, she looked like one of the maids who worked in the unspeakable alley in Meryton. She looked quite horrid and was crying a great deal. I did not want to interfere, so I pretended that I didn't see her and walked away. As I was leaving, I spied Mr. Collins approach from another direction and hid, not wanting him to see me. He was not wearing a cassock and seemed terribly excited about something and soon it became apparent that he was going to meet with the girl…," she paused, trying to choose her words more delicately.

"Well? Please continue", Darcy said.

"I let Mr. Collins pass then watched from behind a tree. He walked up to the girl and dragged her up roughly, yanking her arm up as though she were like a doll. She then let him treated her like an animal. I was gobsmacked and frozen on the spot. It was a horrendous sight indeed, seeing someone so subservient and miserable. I did not understand what was going on and was surprised when he started threatening her with words and hitting her on the shoulders, stomach and legs, anywhere that bruises would not be detected. The girl had stopped sobbing, not because she was tough, but it seemed as though crying would upset Mr. Collins. Her tears flowed freely, almost as though she was weeping silently. It was too upsetting a scene, so I ran away and knew not what to make of it. I wanted to talk to Elizabeth about it, but we did not have a chance. Could Mr. Collins be a violent man? Could he hit Lizzy like what he did to that maid?"

Mr. Bennet plonked down on the chair, shook his head at this information, realizing that he was inches away from giving his daughter to a brutal beast. Mr. Darcy worried for Elizabeth and tried to link the information Mary had said with his observations at the scene of the crime. Hadn't there been a large stone near Mr. Collins head? He couldn't remember…

"So Collins tried to hurt Lizzy and Lizzy fought back," Mr. Bennet murmured.

"The question now is how to find Miss Elizabeth," Darcy said, "do you have any idea where she could have gone? Perhaps Miss Lucas is hiding her, after all, she is Miss Elizabeth's best friend."

"I doubt Charlotte would sympathize with Lizzy killing Mr. Collins," Mary said. "Sir Williams is the magistrate and he is not as amiable as he appears."

"IF Miss Elizabeth did indeed kill Mr. Collins," Darcy interrupted. "You must remember that this is all mere speculation, no facts have been established."

"But Mary's account confirms that Mr. Collins is violent and probably very possessive," Mr. Bennet commented. "If I successfully forced Lizzy to marry him, Lizzy is sure that he would have directed that violence at her. That would give her a motive."

Darcy continued the speculation, "If we go by the theory of there being a struggle at Oakham Mount, then we can assume that either Miss Elizabeth killed Mr. Collins accidentally, or he somehow died during the struggle with Miss Elizabeth having no fault in it. Either way this would give her reason to run, for fear of being called a murderer and arrested, leading us to our present situation."

"But Lizzy would have at least told Jane before running away," Mr. Bennet said. "They are like twins joined at the hip and to the best of my knowledge, Jane is as clueless about this as I am."

"Sir, some events are too traumatizing for a person to act as they usually would. It is just as possible that she panicked and escaped. Life and death situations such as this can make even the bravest of men take to their heels. I only wish that you would tell me if she has any relatives outside of Meryton she could have run to. If only we could use them as a possible alibi, we need to keep the evidence as far away from Miss Elizabeth as possible while we search for her discreetly."

"Mrs. Bennet's brother lives in London, by the name Gardiner. But I strongly doubt Lizzy would have gone there. How would she get there? She had no money when she walked out."

"Will he, however, be a convincing alibi?" Darcy asked.

"Gardiner is a clever fellow and quite reasonable, I am sure he would cooperate with us considering how delicate this situation is. I will write him an express, informing him on the happenings and let him know of our speculation. He dotes on Lizzy too and will come to our defence should the need arise."

"Perhaps you can also mention the idea of Miss Elizabeth going further, to Scotland or even Ireland."

"That, Mr. Darcy, is a wonderful plan. Get Lizzy as far away from the crime scene as possible, before we can find her and ask her what happened. I care very little for Mr. Collins and even less so now that I have discovered the kind of animal he is."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Collins attacked my daughter and apparently a servant girl, assaulting and abusing them, treating them like mere animals. If he were still alive, I should kill him myself."

"Be careful with that sort of talk, Mr. Bennet, say something like that outside of Longbourn and you will be suspected of Collins's murder. And he was to inherit your estate. Many would believe you killed him to protect your property and keep it within the family. I hope you to exercise discernment in your choice of words from henceforward, especially when you find yourself in public places."

"I will do well to heed your advice. Thank you very much for your help. You have saved this family from shame and dismay."

"Do not thank me yet, we still have to report his death to the authority and my aunt."

"Mr. Collins's overbearing patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh?"

Darcy nodded his head, in complete silent agreement with Mr. Bennet's description of Lady Catherine. "And we still have the problem of the corpse."

"The corpse? How is it, Mr. Darcy, that I have found myself in such a position. I would have never thought that I would one day have to decide what to do with a body that was possibly murdered by my daughter."

"That Mr. Bennet is a question that we cannot find an answer to at the moment. Things happen the way they do for a certain reason and we can do nothing to help this. Since I am the one who found the body, I take the responsibility to alert the authority about this. Hiding it will only cause more trouble."

"Sir William is the magistrate and Lucas Lodge is not far from here."

"It is only fair to assume that this is a case that will be thoroughly investigated," Darcy said.

"I hope so as well. And when should we organise the search for Lizzy?"

"It needs to be handled with discretion. Let me go to Lucas Lodge first and we will discuss the search on my return."

"I cannot thank you enough for your assistance. You have done us a great deal of good and I owe you a huge debt. Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for everything."

"It is nothing, I do not deserve such praise. I must be on my way if I am to meet the magistrate before news of the murder gets to him through some other means. Write the letter to Mr. Gardiner and do not forget to hide the garnet cross. It is evidence and must not be found, or it could be used against Miss Elizabeth. Goodbye Mr. Bennet."

Mr. Darcy left Longbourn, feeling very optimistic, on the one hand, with himself for his sensible handling of the situation. He felt as though he had been redeemed for his past actions towards Meryton's people. Helping Mr. Bennet made him feel as though he would be forgiven by Elizabeth. But on the other hand, he feared for Elizabeth's safety. She could be injured, lying somewhere else. He worried that she might herself had been killed. Darcy deliberately neglected to mention it to Mr. Bennet for fear that he might upset the poor elderly gentleman who was already in a sorry state.

He walked on to Lucas Lodge, pulling Prospero to follow him. He needed the walk very badly for the purpose of catharsis. He thought to himself that he had a long week ahead of him. He decided to cancel his trip to London and stay and help the Bennets. He knew what his head wanted him to do, but he was a man in love and he would inevitably follow his heart. He needed all the help he could get to search for Elizabeth. He wondered if Bingley would continue onto London or would he return to Netherfield after he discovered Darcy missing from the party. He could use Bingley's help but would rather Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst did not return to Hertfordshire with their brother. Miss Bingley would notice Darcy's preoccupation and ask too many questions or hinder the search. He thought his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam would be the best person to assist him. Darcy suppressed the image of Elizabeth, injured and in pain, lying somewhere near Oakham Mount. He must find her!


	5. Mr Darcy, please step forward

A.N. Thank you, Liysyl, GemmaDarcy, Nanciellen, Happy Lizzy, Colleen and jb8410 for reviewing. Your comments are the food of my Muse. At the moment, I am a bit starved. Anyway, I'm no historian, so later in the chapters, if I need to revise some of the historical errors, I will let you know. Thank you and happy reading! Remember to support me by reviewing.

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**Chapter 5**

1892!

Elizabeth clammed her mouth tight, for fear that she would scream out again. How could that be? Not only did she seem to have travelled through space, from Hertfordshire to Washington, but she had also travelled almost 81 years into the future. The Netherfield Ball was on the 26th of November 1811. She killed the evil Mr. Collins on the 27th. If Lucy was to be believed, Elizabeth had slept for a whole day since Lucy found her. So in England time, Elizabeth should be on the 28th of November 1811. But Lucy said it was the 28th of August 1892. Elizabeth did not feel the chill of the English weather, but she was frozen with fear of the unimagined change of time and place.

How could that be?

And why?

Surely, that was not true!

Elizabeth stood up abruptly and ran to stand by the window and looked out. The street on this side of the house was much wider. This time she could really see the people on the road. Their clothes were different to those in Meryton or London. Women wore puffed-shoulder and bell-shaped skirts. Some men were spotted with a big full beard and moustache. Elizabeth felt like viewing actors promenading on a grand stage.

Ching!

Ching!

Her eyes widened like saucers on seeing the next thing. An extremely long and big wagon-like box was rolling on the street, on wheels in high speed, instead of drawn by horses. It had a pole at the top that linked to lines that looked like a spider web on buildings. People were sitting and standing inside it.

"Oh my lord, what is that?" She exclaimed.

Lucy rushed to her side. She looked at the object for a second and said, "That is just the trolley. Did you not have streetcars in Cheapside?"

"Streetcars? No, we definitely do not have that in Cheapside." Elizabeth added 'London' silently. "Do they not need horses to pull them?"

Lucy pressed her hand on Elizabeth's forehead. "Are you burning up with a fever? Did your body still ache from the accident that caused you fainted in the cave? Or do you live in the wild? Streetcars are powered by electricity."

Elizabeth shook her head, hoping to wake up from this bizarre scene. But the streetcar was still there. She could not shake the image off. She walked back and sat down on the chair, like an elderly lady of 80 years of age. Her feet felt heavy and her mind confused. She must be in a nightmare.

Lucy said nothing, followed Elizabeth and returned to her seat. She served Elizabeth another serve of food. Elizabeth ate all these heartily, finding herself famished. Drawing a deep breath, she decided for the moment to forget the matter. The thoughts were too burdensome and she felt she might faint. Lucy led her to the bedroom and helped her to bed. Then taking a seat beside her, Lucy spoke to her kindly. "Elizabeth, you must get enough rest, I know not what you have encountered nor how you ended up in that cave but do not worry yourself over that for now. Sleep! You may gain strength and soundness in mind."

"I do not wish to sleep, I fear what I might dream. Will you be kind enough to talk to me?"

"Well…I have nothing urgent to do right now, I might as well oblige. While you slept, I talked with a neighbor who informed me that they might stage a protest soon."

"A protest? Against what?"

"Not against anyone but in support of Plessy."

"Oh, the gentleman you mentioned before. He is here? In Washington?" Elizabeth pronounced the city name slowly, unwilling to confirm to herself that she was truly transported so far away from England.

"No, he is still remanded for trial in New Orleans."

Elizabeth had read about New Orleans, the former French city in American south from a newspaper in her father library. Her head span with yet more new people and events. She would instead concentrate on the present.

"How did you come to be in such an establishment?" Elizabeth chose her words carefully, as she was not sure if Lucy was staying in the house without her master's permission.

"I was married, you see, to a pleasant fellow from here, a negro like myself. So I settle here."

'Was?' What happened to Lucy's husband? Elizabeth nodded and encouraged Lucy to continue, "Do tell me about him."

"I will, but how is your head? Does it still hurt? I would be less uncomfortable if you would rest. You are in such a sorry state."

"But I really do want to hear about your husband, I will sleep immediately after."

Lucy sighed. This Elizabeth seemed quite stubborn. "If you insist, then I suppose I must. I met Jacob, this handsome man at a dance when I was a student in Oberlin. He was with a group of loud young men whom I had no time for. I thought that would be the last I'd see of him and did not give him another thought. A month later, I saw Jacob at a tavern. I was helping my friend there. The kind that only serves black people, not by choice, but because no white man would be caught dead in such an establishment. He came in alone and had much to drink, he seemed to be in a sour mood. I served him all his drinks but he didn't even remember me, I was so offended."

Elizabeth listened eagerly, still amazed that Lucy had a chance to go to university.

"Then while I was attending to some business at the back, I heard the noise of breaking a glass and ran back into the tavern. My dear Jacob was on the floor being punched out by two huge white men."

"Oh, my lord!"

"No one would dare hurt a white man, so no one interrupted them. Until fearing him dead, I pleaded with them to leave him."

"You are so brave!"

"I had a pitchfork in my hands then," Lucy laughed.

Elizabeth smiled. Lucy being as tall as Miss Bingley, with a fearsome weapon in her hands, could be quite formidable.

"The white men stepped towards me and luckily, my friend and others in the tavern stood behind me in a united front. The brutes moved back and punched Jacob one more time and left quietly."

"What a relief!"

"Yes. Feeling a great amount of pity for Jacob, my friend and I closed the tavern and took him to the local doctor. He was unconscious afterwards for two days, we…I mostly, fed and bathed him, leaving food for him before classes and coming back to care for him. I soon fell for him, just like that, without him uttering a word. Jacob seemed so vulnerable and depressed, he ate without a word, did much sleeping and wore a look of sadness on his face the whole time. Somehow I felt responsible for his sorrow. On the third day, Jacob spoke to me and thanked me profusely."

"What did he say?"

"He explained that he was visiting from Washington and he had seen the men beating a young boy who tried to steal money from them near to death and had stopped them. Jacob helped the boy escape before running himself. But somehow they had found him and if it weren't for me, he would surely have died."

"Oh wow," said Elizabeth, "How strongly he must have fallen for you."

"It's quite the opposite," replied Lucy, "He only expressed polite gratitude and I soon discovered that my love was not reciprocated."

"How did that make you feel? Unrequited love, that is the most tragic of things."

Lucy chuckled, "I can think of many things more tragic things, but I was quite miserable. I pressed him to stay with me a while longer, using the excuse of his sickness. Jacob obliged and stayed a week. He treated me as he would a good friend."

"Oh, what did you do?"

"I grew more and more impatient. I had never felt love so intensely and I grew more and more weary of it. On the day Jacob was finally to leave, for he had responsibilities of his own to attend to, unable to bear his indifference any longer, I spoke harshly to him and accused him of not responding to all my love."

Elizabeth admired Lucy's outspoken nature.

"He was shocked. Jacob then surprised me by confessing that he was very much in love with me and he neither wanted to leave my side nor cause me sadness. Oh, how romantic were his words that day. I wept and he held me and never let me go until his death six months ago, of a trifling cold. We were inseparable and a part of me died with him. He made this place a home for me after I moved here for a teaching job."

Elizabeth had been moved to tears without knowing and seeing that Lucy was upset; Elizabeth wiped her tears. She remembered the day Jane had fallen ill in Netherfield. Her mother had declared quite firmly that people did not die of little trifling colds. Jane would have been mourned deeply if she was taken by the illness. Would Elizabeth's family grieve for her absence? She wondered if Lucy's demotion was related to her losing Jacob.

She insisted that Lucy take a rest but Lucy ignored Elizabeth's protests and left the room. Lucy left with a strong sense of nostalgia, for in the curse of telling her story, she had begun to miss Jacob again. She decided to visit the whiskey cabinet.

Elizabeth spent an hour reflecting all she had experienced through the day. She concluded that either she had gone mad or that the metallic parasol-like object had truly brought her to the future. Elizabeth decided she would tell Lucy the truth, but maybe not yet. She didn't know if Lucy would continue treating her amiably if she considered Elizabeth to be mad, or an escapee from the Bedlam. With these thoughts weighing on her mind and the shadow of Mr. Collins still haunting her heart, Elizabeth fell asleep slowly.

~0~

Half-way during the walk, Mr. Darcy was greeted with a distraught and worried Mr. Bingley. Upon seeing him, Bingley rushed to him, asking him if he was hurt, telling him how he had sent his sisters and Mr. Hurst ahead to London and had searched all over for him and demanding to know what happened. Mr. Darcy did his best to calm Bingley and told of how his horse had panicked and galloped off the path and how it led to his finding Mr. Collins' body. He explained that he felt obliged to inform Mr. Bennet but he was careful to leave out details that could incriminate Elizabeth, neglecting to mention her garnet cross and his plans with Mr. Bennet to create a cover-up for her disappearance. For some unknown reason to himself, Darcy was not ready to confide in Bingley yet.

"That is quite horrible, Darcy!" said his best friend. "To think that on the very day we decided to leave Meryton, something as tragic as this would happen to keep you from leaving. Poor man, Mr. Collins, seemed an amiable fellow and very agreeable."

"You think everyone is agreeable," Darcy commented, remembering Miss Mary's tale about the vicious pastor. He feared for Elizabeth's safety.

"You seem to be willing to read wicked intent in everyone, Darcy," Bingley said, visibly alarmed now by everything he had been told. "Although you handled the matter very well, I suggest we continue immediately, to inform Sir William. Did you search the place for any more evidence?"

Darcy pictured the crime scene in his mind again. If anything else belonging to Elizabeth were found, then all his efforts would be in vain and Elizabeth was sure to be arrested. But he was sure he was thorough in his examination of the area where the body of Mr. Collins laid.

They decided to ride to Lucas Lodge. Soon they were shown in. Sir William was at home, for lack of anything to do. It was rare that a crime would be committed in Meryton and when one was committed, it was often solved among the people, with them bringing the matter to the law very rarely. Sir William welcomed them warmly and made sure they were comfortable.

"To what do I owe such a pleasant visit," he asked.

As usual, Bingley took the lead to reply, "We wish this visit were pleasant but unfortunately there is nothing agreeable about it, we rather wish the circumstances that led to us coming here had never happened."

"Whatever could you be going on about? I am surprised for I have never seen you in such a gloomy mood, Mr. Bingley. And judging by the look on your friend's face, I suppose what you have to tell me is dark indeed."

Bingley then went on to tell Sir William all that Darcy had told him of what happened. Darcy added his comments from time to time.

Sir William was stunned to silence. He had never heard of murder at Meryton and the very thought of it frightened him. But he had risen to many challenges in his life, like elevating himself from trade to knighthood. He was determined to catch the culprit and showed his neighbour what a great man he could be.

"I shall gather my men and supervise an investigation. The culprit will no doubt be caught. I hope you have not…contaminated the evidence," Sir William narrowed his eyes, staring at Mr. Darcy. Behind his affable manner, Sir William never liked the arrogant gentleman from Derbyshire. The man had the handsome look, wealth and noble connection Sir William craved for in his whole life. Could Mr. Darcy be involved in the murder? He would gladly take the nephew of a Lord into custody, given a chance. What more could boost Sir William's status for bringing justice to a small town by standing up to and bringing down a goliath? Sir William suppressed the urge to rub his hands eagerly and waited for Mr. Darcy's answer.

"I made sure not to."

"Good, if you will be kind enough to wait for me and guide my men there, I will be very grateful."

"Absolutely, I can do that. Would you also want Mr. Bennet who is related to Mr. Collins and under who's home the man was, to be present there?"

"Absolutely not, he will be informed of his cousin's death after I have examined and moved the body," Sir William mustered as much authority as he could when he uttered the words. Thomas Bennet was another man Sir William would not mind taking down as well. "Also, an autopsy needs to be performed, I do not need a mourning relative slowing down the investigation. We move the body first."

"That sounds like an excellent plan, but do try and inform him as early as possible." Darcy nodded his head, not liking the tone of the magistrate. Was Miss Mary right about Sir William?

Sir William then gathered his coat and they set off for Oakham Mount with three of his men and a wagon. Darcy and Bingley went with them on horseback and led the party to where Mr. Collins was. The body was still there, as dead as it was when Darcy had first found it.

"Manders, please take note of my observation," Sir William told his man.

"Yes, Sir!" The fair hair short man bowed and nodded his head.

"The deceased, male, in his mid-twenties, was Mr. William Collins, introduced to me last night at the ball in Netherfield. He was a distant cousin of Mr. Thomas Bennet, a local landowner near Meryton. He was heir to Longbourn, Mr. Bennet's estate." Sir William would never describe Bennet as a prominent landlord. He had hated Thomas Bennet from a very young age.

As a former successful shopowner, Sir William excelled in looking for detail and things out of the ordinary. He would use his skill to solve this crime. "Mr. Collins had blood on his head. Judging by the wound there, he was hit with a blunt object, most probably a rock." Sir William first turned to stare at Darcy's hands and then his man, "Manders, please make sure you and your men search the surrounding area for a rock or a blunt object, with blood. I want to see if the murderer has left a mark on it. Any person reported with a bruise on his hands should be reported to me too." Darcy thought raced. Was there such an object nearby?

He heard Sir William continued. "Mr. Collins had stab wounds in his chest. From the large amount of blood seen on his torso and his clothes, it was likely that the wounds near his heart were what killed Mr. Collins. His hands and fingers had bruises and blood. The struggle seemed most violent. Manders, besides the blunt object that the murderer used to knock Mr. Collins on the head, we should look for a knife or a dagger as well."

Sir William then stepped back from the body and scanned the area nearby. "The grass in this area looked trampled on. There must be a struggle. The leaves, soil and dirt on Mr. Collins's body confirms that. There is a footprint here. Mr. Darcy, can you step forward? I would like to see if this was your footprint."

Darcy was offended by Sir William's mistrustful attitude but complied readily. "Yes, this looked to be Mr. Darcy's."

"Sir, there is another footprint here," Manders called out, pointing to another area where the grass was flattened.

Sir Williams moved over there and examined the area for a long few minutes. Darcy wished to follow him and confirmed that there was nothing to incriminate Miss Elizabeth but he prevented himself from doing so. Bingley had no such reservation. He seemed fascinated by Sir William's attention to detail.

"The footprint here was smeared," Sir William commented. "It could be that of two footprints, one larger than Mr. Darcy's and heavier and one smaller and lighter."

"Could we be looking for two culprits?" Bingley asked curiously.

"I do not know. Please draw the likeness of the footprints as best you can," the Magistrate instructed his man.

Not long afterwards, the body was moved. Some of Sir William's men stayed behind to investigate the crime scene further. Sir William decided to ride to town with the body. He wanted to interrogate the town people to see if they had seen any strangers around. Darcy wanted to request the duty of informing the Bennets of their cousin's demise but he did not wish Sir William to think him too eager. Luckily, Bingley helped Darcy on that without noticing.

"Should we inform Mr. Bennet about Mr. Collins's sad fate for you, Sir William?" Bingley asked, he was keen to see his angel, now that he would not be leaving for London today.

Sir William's frown. Darcy thought Sir William must be torn between going to town to spread the news that he had a murder to investigate or going to Longbourn to give Mr. Bennet the news about Mr. Collins death. In the end, Sir William decided to go to Meryton instead. He did not want to hear Mrs. Bennet gloating about the entail on Longbourn being broken.

Darcy sighed with relief. He would take this opportunity to find out what Mr. Bennet had done concerning the burying of the evidence.


	6. Streetcar and mourning

Thank you, Liysyl, Happy Lizzy, Beatrizwolfstark, Gemma Darcy and Guest for commenting. We still have Darcy and Lizzy separated by time. So we don't have all the answers yet. But happy reading and don't forget to review!

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**Chapter 6**

The next day, Elizabeth arose early and met Lucy going out to buy some food. Despite the unknown, Elizabeth also longed to go out of the house and explore the strange world. She offered to help. Lucy politely declined. Elizabeth spoke, "I am truly grateful for how you have taken care of me, how can I ever repay you?."

"Stop it at once, I shall hear no thanks." Smiling, Lucy replied, "I have done nothing but share with you what I have received. Sit awhile or read a book, I shall soon finish my chores then we can run errands together. Also, remember that we are to find your family as soon as possible. Not that I do not wish you to remain, but I can't help thinking of your poor parents and how fearful they must be of your absence. They must be sick with worry."

"In that case, there is something I must tell you…, later, but not now, later," said Elizabeth. Her face tightened glumly, unsure how to explain her day on 27th November and with her ending up in Lucy's time.

On seeing Elizabeth's gloomy expression, Lucy took pity on her and agreed to take her to the shop but told her that they must pretend not to know each other nor walk together. Elizabeth agreed, despite reluctantly. She was helped into a men-style of a shirt, a longer spencer with puffed-up shoulders, and a skirt that flared out quite wide that belonged to Lucy. Lucy was taller than Elizabeth, so they had to hem up the skirt temporarily. Elizabeth walked gingerly, on her own boot, behind Lucy onto the street. She looked on enthusiastically as men with jackets and trousers less tight than those of England and women wearing similar clothes as she walked by, some of them greeted Lucy cheerfully.

Clunk!

Click!

Suddenly two women on a strange machine stopped on the roadside and talked to Lucy. Elizabeth stayed a few steps behind and stared at them. The devices were made of metal with two wheels. The women's hands held onto a horizontal bar and their foot on a thick bar of metal.

How strange! Women and men would be able to ride on such a machine like on a horse and travel at speed. Lucy, of course, did not introduce her. When Lucy's friends left after a few minutes, Elizabeth asked from behind quietly, "What is it?"

Lucy looked back at Elizabeth with a frown, not understanding her question.

"The metal thing your friends ride on."

"Bicycle!" Lucy said, a bit too loud, drawing the attention of a few people on the street. She lowered her voice immediately. "Do not tell me you have never seen a bicycle before?"

Elizabeth wanted to ask more about the metal horse but she was distracted by another sight. Her mouth gaped open when she saw the "horseless carriage" sped past them in the middle of the road.

The trolley! Or the streetcar that Lucy had told her.

Elizabeth's head whipped back, following the motion of the metal box. A succession of sparks jumped out at the top of the pole of the streetcar. The lights reminded her of the likeness of the fireworks she had read about. It also resembled the light that spurted out in the parasol-thing she saw in the cave at Oakham Mount.

"Come, Elizabeth," Lucy walked back slightly and whispered to Elizabeth when she was sure no one observed them. She urged Elizabeth to continue, instead of standing still on the pavement.

"How does this work?"

"What?"

"The streetcar."

Lucy stared at Elizabeth like she was from another world. Lucy shook her head and said, "It used to be drawn by horses but now it is powered by the overhead electrified wires."

Electrified! Elizabeth was even terrified by the sound of the word. She stood still, gazing at the streetcar that faded from her sight.

"You know, Elizabeth, electricity?"

Elizabeth nodded her head, vaguely remembering reading about it. Hmm, from Thomas Browne's Pseudodoxia Epidemica! Papa liked the subtle humour in the work that denounced the vulgarity and superstitions of nature in the 1640s. Wasn't electricity about rubbing amber? Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what she had read about the term. "You mean the sparks that came out from the…rubbing of the wires and the top of the pole move the horseless carriage along?"

Lucy laughed but continued to whisper to Elizabeth, "Horseless carriage? You are so funny. But no, the sparks are the result, not the cause. Anyway, we have arrived."

Elizabeth stood outside the store, taking in the scene. It was no different from watching her Aunt Gardiner buying a bonnet at the milliner shop in London. And yet, she was bewildered by the big money box that the shopkeeper used every time a customer paid him the purchase. The man would push some keys on the box, a drawer would shoot open and a bell ring.

Lucy came out of the store with a bag full of food. She walked away, shook her head and whispered to Elizabeth when they were unobserved, "Luke thought you are going to rob his store."

"Luke?"

"The shopkeeper."

"Why?"

"You were staring at his Incorruptible Cashier with eyes and mouth gaped open."

Incorruptible Cashier? Such a grand name for a money box, Elizabeth thought. She reframed from asking Lucy how the cashier worked. Her head was already too full of multiple colours, sounds and information.

~o~

On getting to Longbourn, Bingley immediately went to sit with Miss Bennet and started a conversation. Miss Bennet had left her mother resting upstairs. Mary took Mr. Darcy to her father's study. When the three sat down, Mr. Bennet asked about the visitor's trip to Lucas Lodge. He then showed Mr. Darcy the express he had written:

"Dear Brother,

An event most alarming has occurred today. Elizabeth is missing for many hours and I fear she may have met with some accident. The heir to Longbourn, Mr. Collins, whom I told you is visiting, was found dead this morning, with Lizzy's garnet cross in his possession.

Let me start by explaining the events from the beginning. Shortly after we broke our fast this morning, Mr. Collins made Lizzy an offer of marriage, which she rejected soundly. Fanny was much distraught by Lizzy's decision, as she wants to remain in Longbourn when I meet my Maker. Much to my shame, I was badgered into cajoling Lizzy to accept the offer.

I told her I hoped to persuade her of the folly of her actions and the ignorance of youth. Marriage is not the institution many make it out to be, what any call love, which Lizzy so treasures, fades away much too quickly. Only marriages founded on respect and understanding can withstand the test of time and provide peace and the joy she so keenly seeks.

Lizzy was distressed by my lack of support. She said that in my eyes, she is but a spoilt little girl who can't tell left from right and knows not her way around a ballroom. Still, I insisted that Lizzy marries such a man, a pompous and ridiculous man whom she cannot respect. She hates the prospect of being forced into marriage for the preservation of material items that mean nothing to her, and bring her no delight. I sent her to ponder about the decision in the solitude of her room. It was just to give myself peace of mind. I am such a selfish man and father!

Lizzy must have then left the house and walked to Oakham Mount. Some hours later, Mr. Darcy, the gentleman from Derbyshire who is a guest at Netherfield Park, came to tell us that he had found Collins's body at the base of Oakham Mount, with Lizzy's garnet cross with Collins. I have no reason to suspect Mr. Darcy, who is the most trusted allies so far. I then learned from Mary that Collins was a brutal beast in disguise. He was seen beating up a woman from the unspeakable alley of Meryton for pleasure. We will start a search for Lizzy discreetly soon but in the worse case that she is somehow related to Collins's death, I want her name and disappearance disassociate with Collins as far as possible.

Here is what I thought would be helpful to safeguard Lizzy's reputation and involvement with Collins's death…"

Darcy was surprised at how much detail Mr. Bennet had told Mr. Gardiner, to persuade the latter to help Elizabeth. The older gentleman talked about his regret and guilt in trying to force Elizabeth to accept the evil Mr. Collins. Luckily Elizabeth was so brave. She had the sense to reject the man and stood firm in her ideal, to marry for love. In the end, Mr. Bennet also asked Mr. Gardiner to destroy the letter after reading it. The express was then sent, by Hill's son, who would ride to London, on the pretence of buying some rare books for Mr. Bennet at Hertford. The young man was also entrusted with two expresses by Darcy to his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam and his solicitor in London. The Colonel's express was short and cryptic:

"Richard,

Time is of the essence. Can you spare someone to H to search the oily p's abode, for any clue that is out of the place? La Cat's lackey drew his last breath today and I have reasons to suspect that he was a beast of the most brutal kind who had his life cut short in a similar vicious manner.

A gentlewoman of my acquaintance has disappeared near MO at Hertfordshire, probably related to the beast's gruesome end. I cannot search for her for some delicate reasons. To learn more about the events and detail, please follow the express rider young H to Cheapside where the lady's uncle G can give you more information. Young H has been instructed accordingly. Burn the express after you read it. Spare no expense and proceed with the utmost discretion. I will notify my men in London to provide you with the fund and other resources separately. I want her found, safe and well! F.D."

Darcy also learned that Miss Mary and Hill were tasked with hiding the garnet cross, together with some of Elizabeth's clothing and books, to make it look like Elizabeth had travelled to London and beyond.

Mrs. Bennet was later fed a tale of how Miss Elizabeth was called to assist the Gardiners urgently before lunch. Mr. Bennet let his wife thought that Elizabeth had disappeared all for a good joke. Mrs. Bennet scolded her husband for such a cruel antic but she forgot all about Miss Elizabeth once Bingley told the rest of the family of the demise of Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet received the news with glee, glad that the entail had been broken.

"You should not appear to be too pleased, lest our family be suspected of the murder," Mr. Bennet warned his wife.

"Murder! How very silly of you, Mr. Bennet. If I wanted to murder Mr. Collins, I would poison him slowly with any number of the toxic herb. A pinch of this or that for his morning tea would have done the trick. Why would I need to stab him to death? It was so very unfastidious!"

Later, Mr. Bennet left with Darcy and Bingley for Kings Park Tavern, where Sir William said Mr. Collins's body would be kept till an autopsy was performed. On getting there, Mr. Bennet noticed he kept getting suspicious looks from Sir William's men, almost as though they were accusing him of something.

"Why do they look at me with such mistrust?" he whispered to Darcy.

"They may believe you have had a hand in Mr. Collins's death in some way, due to the entail of Longbourn, but that is nothing. Let us hurry inside and finish with this business."

Sir William met them in a private room. He had been observing them from a window. The Magistrate noticed a closeness between Thomas Bennet and Mr. Darcy that had not been the case in the past. He filed away that information carefully and hope that it might be of use for the investigation in the future.

"Bennet, how unfortunate for your loss," Sir William said while assessing Mr. Bennet's face, hoping to detect a sense of elation on the man. Bennet could have killed his heir to protect Longbourn from slipping through the fingers of his daughters. But Sir William did not find such emotion in Mr. Bennet. "I am sure Mr. Darcy has filled you in on all that has happened, now if you will follow me, you can identify his body. I want this to be over as soon as possible so you can mourn peacefully."

Mr. Bennet did not utter a word in reply, but nodded bleakly and simply followed Sir William. Mr. Bennet identified Mr. Collins's body. Upon seeing the stillness and blood, he wept a little, fearing for his Lizzy and angry at Mr. Collins. His favourite daughter could be lost to him forever, all because of this horrible man.

Sir William focused his eyes on Mr. Bennet, watching him. He thought to himself that Mr. Bennet's tears could merely be showing regret of murdering his cousin, rather than genuinely mourning the death of a relative. He would nail Mr. Bennet or the stiff wealthy gentleman from Derbyshire if either of them were the murderer.

~o~

When they returned to Lucy's home, Elizabeth found the place calming. Looking at the furniture with more critical eyes, she discovered that the house was tastefully decorated. But she could not imagine living there all by herself. "Do you ever fear living here alone?"

"I have no reason to fear robbers," Lucy laughed. "I am very much respected and loved in the neighbourhood, through my teaching and practising medicine unofficially. Even though I am not a trained doctor, the people here depend on me and I have served them faithfully, no matter how little money they have. I get paid with food, clothes and anything they can afford to give me. I have none whom I provide for, so my needs are basic."

"That is very generous of you. How I wish I could live as you do, to help others without care of my own situation."

"Why do you feel that you cannot lead such a life?" Lucy regarded at Elizabeth with a puzzled look.

"In our society, it is every gentlewoman's wish to be married into wealth and prestige. That is why they all strive to be so accomplished."

"I sense that it is not your wish, Elizabeth, to marry for money," Lucy said. "And Accomplished? I detest hearing that word. It is merely society's way of imposing on a woman. I had to struggle against the dictates of society all my life. A black woman shouldn't go to university, a woman should hope to be a secretary at best."

"I understand," Elizabeth said. "You have so much more challenges to overcome!"

"I am proud to be the first black woman in my county to receive a college degree. I had to contend with these ideas and men who mocked me constantly and tried to convince me that I wasn't good enough. But there were also a lot of people who looked up to and supported me. The responsibility and the shaming made me weary, but I owed it to myself to succeed. Not because I am a woman or a black woman, but because I am a person and I have a right to do what I believe is good for the society and myself without being dictated at by men who lack depth in thought or character."

"How I wish I am half as bold as you."

"Tell me, what type of life do you wish to lead?"

"I haven't thought much about it really," Elizabeth smoothed her fingers over the back of a chair, wondering why she had never thought so herself. She had a loving father, excellent books to read, good food and fine clothes all her life. Elizabeth might have wanted to marry for love but she had not spent much effort in thinking about the goals in her life. Was she as indolent as her father, purely drifting through life? "I do like society and want to be part of it, only I do not want it to control me. I wish to be free, to be who I wish and marry who I want. But how can I have wants outside society when that is all I have ever known. Balls, learning an instrument, sowing, knitting, courtesy. They seem so trivial as compared to what you do here. Something…I do not know what, but something feels out of place. As though all the riches and the most agreeable husband could not make me fulfilled. I long for something more, something stronger, more meaningful, something that is… me."

Lucy came by Elizabeth's side and patted her shoulder. "If you look into yourself with diligence, I am sure answers will pour out to you, but for now, let us eat and we need to get you home. How should we do that? Do you remember anything at all?"

"That is a matter," said Elizabeth, wring her hands, "concerning which I have the need to speak to you."

"Let us eat first, I could handle anything on a full stomach." Lucy laughed.

They prepared the food and ate in silence. Elizabeth worried that she might appear insane to her benevolent host, whom she started to trust. She remembered reading about a little-known play called "Anno 7603" by a Norwegian playwright, where the two heroines of the play were moved by a fairy to a future in the year 7603. In that world, gender roles had been switched and only women were allowed to fight in the military.

Elizabeth laughed drily on thinking herself wearing the redcoat of Mr. Wickham. Would she cut a dashing figure as the handsome militiaman? She decided to tell Lucy nearly everything, except that she had travelled through time. Suppressing the laugh, she said, "I remember clearly being at Oakham Mount, a small hill near our house."

Elizabeth continued, without mention Longbourn or Hertfordshire by name. "Mr. Collins, my cousin and the heir to our estate, is visiting us from another county. He had proposed marriage to me earlier, which I refused. He interrupted my walk. Now that I think about it, I suspect he had been following me. He attacked me, declaring that I do not merit to be his wife, but his slaves," Elizabeth swallowed hard, drew another deep breath. "He said he had kidnapped and tortured women who did not show him respect. Right that moment, he has locked up a tavern girl called Daisy in his cellar in the parsonage."

"A beastly clergyman?" Lucy exclaimed angrily.

Elizabeth nodded her head, fiercely. Merely remembering the fight against Mr. Collins made her mind raced. She thus cut the long story short. "I managed to escape. I ran and ran until I was exhausted and lost consciousness. I did not know how I ended up at the cave…at Rock Creek."

Lucy stared at Elizabeth, moved almost to tears with pity concerning the attack. She embraced Elizabeth affectionately. "You are very strong, to have gone through such an experience and not broken down. Wicked men exist as do good men. As to how you got here, from Cheapside, Virginia, I do not know or understand either. I found you in ripped and muddy clothes and you had scratches and wounds."

Lucy told herself that she would be patient with Elizabeth. The young woman was clearly still hiding something. When she had washed Elizabeth's cloth, wanting to see if it could be saved, she noticed that it was styled after clothing from decades ago. She didn't know what to make of it, but she thought little of it, telling herself that a logical explanation would arise later on. But Elizabeth had said she knew not of a family in America. Either Elizabeth had hit her head and lost her sanity, or she could not be someone born and educated in Virginia.

Elizabeth almost became hysterical, thinking herself in 1882 and she did not know what a bicycle, streetcar, or a cashier was. She must be from England. But how could her education be so lacking? How could she land in Washington without entering any ship? Could she be from another era or from the wild of nature? Was there such a wilderness still in England?

Lucy remembered reading a short story by an English writer H.G. Wells called Chronic Argonauts. Dr. Moses in the story was quite evil. He went back to the past and killed the previous owners of a house, causing it to fall into ruin. Then he was able to occupy it for his present-day experiments in time travel. The evil doctor took on a dazed clergyman called Reverend Cook to travel through time on a time machine! The absurd thought that Elizabeth might have been thrown through the corridors of time scares Lucy, and she was an avid reader of science. That would mean a lot of things. For one, how were they going to get Elizabeth back to her time in England? Lucy thought that another visit to the whiskey cabinet might be quite necessary.


	7. A benefactor or conspirator

_A.N. Thank you, Lilsyl, Beatriz, Mariantoinette, HappyLizzy, for commenting. I always try to develop some strong women characters in my stories. I hope Lizzy grows to be stronger in this story. Yes, Lizzy was in 1892. The reference to 1882 was the initial thought Lizzy had when she first talked to Lucy. Now I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Remember to review. I need your reviews for my Muse. Thank you, Enid._

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**Chapter 7**

"Colonel, what is the plan of attack when we arrive at R?"

"I have been thinking of that," Colonel Fitzwilliam said to his batman, Tuttle, as they stopped for a rest on their way to Rosings. The Colonel had received an express from Darcy the day before. He was on leave due to an injury to his arm.

Tuttle nodded his head, waiting for the Colonel to continue.

"Darcy wrote a note at the end of the express that he would leave Mr. Bennet to write to La Cat, informing her of Collins's death, without mentioning that the oily pastor was murdered. But Mr. Bennet would not be using an express rider. After all, why would he waste the money to do so with someone not very close to the family and when my Aunt is not expecting Collins to return for some days. That means I have some time up my sleeves."

"Her Ladyship will not be happy with you showing up unannounced."

"Exactly! But I am going to get Anne to tell me the pastor is away before that. When La Cat gets high and mighty, I will storm off and stay in Hunsford instead."

"Her Ladyship will see red as well. Her nephew with noble connect staying at a parsonage, that is quite improper? What if the villagers got wind of such a scandal?" Tuttle imitated Lady Catherine's condescending voice, much to the Colonel's amusement.

"By the time La Cat sends her puppet to beg me to return to Rosings, we should have combed the parsonage. I can even send her puppet back and forth a few times, to allow us more time to examine the enemy territory. It is only a small 'humble abode', as the oily pastor had told me previously. The man had mean eyes. I am happy that he no longer walked this earth. But I am not thrilled that Darcy got involved in this, and because of a woman! The second part of our mission is more challenging. But let us complete this one first."

Much to Colonel Fitzwilliam's prediction, Lady Catherine reacted to his unexpected arrival with outrage. She droned on and on about respect and courtesy, so much so that a real headache threatened to invade Richard's skull.

"I won't bother you with my short sojourn, Aunt! Since Anne said your pastor is away visiting his relatives, I may as well invite myself to stay there for the night and be on my way tomorrow," the Colonel yelled out the disobedient words without any pretence. As he marched out of the front door of Rosings, he could still hear Lady Catherine calling him back, berating him of thinking to stay in a person's house without permission from the owner or that the nephew of her would degrade himself to stay in a parsonage.

About an hour into his "stay" at Mr. Collins's house, Colonel Fitzwilliam met up with Tuttle again.

"I have been going through Collins's household accounts, it seems he ordered a tad too much of cow milk," Tuttle said, showing the transactions to the Colonel.

Richard nodded his head. "I found it strange that Collins used this room downstairs as his sleeping quarter, instead of the larger room upstairs. This part of the house looked like a temporary structure. I didn't remember it here many years ago. Darcy is the one who inspects Rosings's accounts. I will ask him if he is aware of this extension."

"Perhaps we can ask Collins's cook. Mrs. Wilder lives in the village."

The Colonel mumbled a 'yes' absent-mindedly. He continued to say, "His front garden is in such good order, colour and liveliness. I don't understand why he left the prospect from these windows in such a way."

Tuttle agreed. "The grass is overgrown and the shrubs are all over the place."

"As if he didn't want anyone to see what he was up to in this room." The Colonel paced around the inside perimeter of the bedchamber. The bed and the table occupied a large portion of the room. There was no furniture for his clothes here. His clothes were found upstairs instead. Richard continued to stare at the surrounding, the wall, the ceiling and the floor. Suddenly, he realised that the table seemed to be slanted to the right. The floor was uneven! He marched forward and pushed the small table out of the way and crouched down to feel the ground. There was nothing out of the ordinary there.

Despite the sun outside, Tuttle lit up a candle and passed it to the Colonel. Richard moved the candle carefully under the bed and found a tiny crack under the bed. He shoved the candle back to his batman and then pushed the bed lengthwise to the other side of the room.

There was a trap door underneath the bed!

Richard pulled up the door and stared at the stairs.

"Let me go down and investigate," Tuttle offered, as the opening to the underground was small and the Colonel was well over six feet.

"Be careful," Richard said.

Tuttle lowered his small body down the opening. The Colonel waited impatiently in the room. He became agitated on hearing whispering from below ground. "What the hell was the evil pastor hiding below?"

Right at that moment, there was pounding on the front of the parsonage. Richard cursed and went out to the parlour. It was another servant sent by Lady Catherine. After much shouting and annoyance, the Colonel was able to send the man away, with the promise that he would return to Rosings in another hour. Then he rushed back to Collins's bedroom at the back of the house.

A frail, pale girl who looked as young as four and ten was sitting on the bed while Tuttle was standing there with two toddlers in his arms, looking incredibly ill at ease!

~0~

Lucy shook her ridiculous thoughts about time travel away and thought about what they could do for the day. "I will take you to a 'private' tavern later unless you don't drink alcohol?"

Elizabeth laughed drily. "A tavern to get me to forget the evil man? I already forgot how I came here. What do you mean by 'private'?"

"It is a disused warehouse which some people turn it into a tavern on occasion for invited guests only. It is quite a secret."

"Illegally?"

"You do not have to worry too much about the detail."

"And you know today is the occasion?"

Lucy smiled. "I receive information from the owners regularly. For better or worse, it is where people spend their time. Washington is not a drunken town filled with happy, drunken people. You get to see all sorts of people there. And their beer is quite good." Lucy smiled.

"True, and as a gentlewoman, I've never been to a tavern. What a new adventure! And I have never tasted the beer."

"Well, beer here is the drink of preference. People ask for beer instead of milk. But don't worry, I shall not have you drunk, only slightly inebriated."

"There is no need to be easy on me, I might not yet reach one and twenty but I am solid and I can handle my liquor."

Lucy thought it strange that Elizabeth described her age in such a manner. But she continued, "In that case, we will have a great time at the Hog's Tusk later on."

"The Hog's Tusk? What in the world is that?"

"That, my dear, is the name of our 'private' tavern."

They were, at that moment, interrupted by a rapping on the door. An exceedingly beautiful young African American woman was at the door. On seeing her, Lucy was ecstatic.

"Brenda," she cried, "When did you return." The two women embraced each other for a long time and laughed happily.

"I returned only this afternoon." She stopped suddenly, noticing Elizabeth for the first time. Lucy introduced Elizabeth to her as a friend who was staying with her for the moment.

"It is my pleasure in meeting you," said Elizabeth.

"The feeling is mutual. I am happy to meet any friend of Lucy's." Lucy was older and motherly while Brenda seemed young and sweet, reminding Elizabeth of her beloved Jane.

"Brenda is my late husband's niece," Lucy interjected. "She just returned from Ohio and is studying philosophy here."

"I love philosophy," Elizabeth exclaimed," I love how different thinking of great men opens my mind to another dimension of thought."

"How lovely that I should meet another woman who loves philosophy," said Brenda. And with that, they went into a lengthy discussion about philosophy and life and meaning. Lucy left the two young women to their talk, glad that they were getting on so well and happy at the company. She prepared some coffee and cake and they ate it. The conversation soon turned towards the affairs of the heart.

"Love is a silly thing actually," Brenda started, "I have thought of this for very long and concluded that what we call love is simply a person making another person an extension of themselves."

"You over complicate it," Lucy shook her head. "Next, you will begin talking about evolution and how love is necessary for the survival of the species."

"You are too harsh on her," said Elizabeth, "I wholeheartedly agree with Brenda's assessment. I would not marry someone I don't see myself in, isn't that what marriage is all about? A man and a woman clinging together and becoming one?"

"I suppose Brenda is right, but still, she exaggerates it. Love is being willing to share yourself with another person. It doesn't mean you have to see yourself in him or even consider him an extension of yourself. It simply means you care for a person so much as to give yourself over to him." Lucy argued.

"Do you not think we may be saying the same thing?" asked Brenda.

"Perhaps, only I made it simpler," replied Lucy.

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." Brenda raised her voice and belted out the line like a great actress on stage.

"Brenda and her William Wordsworth." Lucy shook her head.

"I love Wordsworth's works. It is a pity he was dead and English!"

Elizabeth's mouth gaped open. She nearly blurted out that Mr. Wordsworth was pretty much alive as she had met him at a literary gathering Aunt Gardiner had taken Elizabeth to, the last she was in London. She clamped her mouth shut. Seeing Brenda's downtrodden expression, it reminded Elizabeth of Jane's sad face when she had learned that Mr. Bingley would be quitting Netherfield Park, never to return. Her ire against Mr. Darcy raised again. She told Brenda and Lucy everything that had transpired between Mr. Darcy and his interference of Jane's affairs, detailing his hateful behaviour towards Mr. Wickham too.

"It seems to me that you have judged this man based on accusations that have yet to be confirmed," Lucy said. "Tell me, did you attempt to hear what this Darcy fellow had to say?"

"What more was there to hear. Mr. Darcy insulted me at an Assembly, saying that I was not handsome to dance with. He barely talked to any of my neighbours. He is proud and haughty, what other confirmation do I need? Besides, Mr. Wickham is a most charming officer. He is sincere and beloved by all who know him."

"Except, Mr. Darcy?" Brenda commented.

"Yes, only Mr. Darcy and his friends have a low opinion of Mr. Wickham. They have a low opinion of everyone, all of them except Mr. Bingley, Jane's beau, who is every bit as agreeable as Mr. Wickham. But his friendship with Mr. Darcy is a stain to him and he does not know it."

"Forgive me, but you really should listen to what Mr. Darcy has to say," Brenda added. "I believe that someone as prideful as you said would not deign to do anything that would bring his family name to shame. I do doubt that he would deny his father's favourite any financial assistance unless Mr. Wickham has done something dreadfully wrong."

"This Darcy fellow, where did he come from?" Lucy said. "I am sure I have heard of a Mr. Darcy somewhere."

"He is a wealthy gentleman from Derbyshire."

Lucy continued to frown.

"History shows that some overly agreeable men tend to have the darkest secret," Brenda argued.

Lucy nodded her head, putting aside if she had heard of Mr. Darcy before and added to Brenda's words, "Some who does all they can to appear charming all the time is either making up for some inadequacy or covering up something sinister. I might be wrong but I really do believe Mr. Wickham's account is not entirely to be trusted. For someone who claims he would never say anything to tarnish the image of the Darcy, he seems to have gone a long way from that promise and has indeed harmed Mr. Darcy's image around Meryton. Do you not think that Mr. Wickham must have done this everywhere as well? Do you not believe that he holds deep malice inside and wishes to gain some form of vengeance. If Mr. Darcy had come to you with information about Mr. Wickham that stained Wickham's personality, would you so easily believe him? Or do you trust Wickham's account simply because Mr. Darcy slighted you?

"Yes, Lucy is right," Brenda added. "These are questions you must ask yourself, Lizzy. You are an intelligent woman. Anyone who loves philosophy, in my eyes, is smart! I know deep down you must desire the truth but your dislike for Mr. Darcy stops that curiosity. Or do you secretly admire Mr. Darcy?"

Before Elizabeth could protest against Brenda's shocking speculation, Lucy exclaimed, "I know this Fitzwilliam Darcy of Derbyshire!"

Brenda and Elizabeth stared at Lucy, expecting her to explain it. But how could she? Lucy thought. She remembered reading about Oberlin College having some financial difficulties in the beginning in 1839. A Reverend Keep and a Mr. Dawes were sent to England to raise funds for the College. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Derbyshire was one of the generous benefactors. His only stipulation of the support was that the College must admit women, of all colours and race, to study there!

~0~

The next morning, Bingley and Darcy arrived early at Longbourn for another visit. Mrs. Bennet was asking her husband incessant questions.

"How did it go yesterday at Kings Park? Mr. Bennet never said a word," she asked. "Mr. Bingley, perhaps you can relieve me of my curiosity."

"Not well at all, we kept getting terrible stares from all those who worked there."

"What do you want to know," Mr. Bennet raised his voice unexpectedly at his wife. "I felt like a monster. I can't keep from blaming myself for all this if everyone is looking at me like I am responsible for it."

"But none of it is your fault," Mr. Darcy said reassuringly, preventing Mr. Bennet from blurting out that Miss Elizabeth was somehow involved. "You only housed the man as a guest here."

"Oh, but it is. If Mr. Collins didn't visit me, he wouldn't be walking around Oakham Mount."

"That is ridiculous!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. "That odious man could have easily been killed in Kent, London, or anywhere."

Worried about the elderly couple's argument, Bingley interrupted them. "Sir William seemed very keen."

"About what?" Mrs. Bennet said.

"From what I've gathered, a serious crime has not been committed in Meryton for a very long and he seems to want to solve this case very quickly," Darcy said.

"Do you feel he will have any evidence against me?" asked Mr. Bennet

"It is not about evidence. In a case like this when there is no evidence, the next best thing is to figure out if there is a possible motive for the crime. In this case, the motive would be killing Collins to break the entail."

Distressed, Mrs. Bennet cried out. "Mr. Bennet would never do that. He wouldn't even hurt a bug."

"Calm down, Mrs. Bennet, I do not suspect your husband in any way, I am simply telling you what is likely to be said."

"I saw hints of deep hostility in Sir William's treatment of me. He was neither friendly nor sympathetic, even though we have been friends in the past. I should not be surprised to hear a knock at the door soon." Mr. Bennet murmured.

"If I may ask, is there anyone apart from us who knows of Mr. Collins's marriage proposal to Miss Elizabeth yesterday morning?" Darcy said.

Mrs. Bennet replied, "Yes, Lizzy's best friend Charlotte was here and is perfectly aware."

That was a complication Darcy didn't like. Miss Lucas was the daughter of Sir William. Darcy hoped that the events before Collins's murder would not be examined in fine detail and led to speculation about Elizabeth's possible involvement.

Mr. Darcy then requested to discuss privately with Mr. Bennet. Bingley stayed in the parlour with the ladies. Mr. Darcy used the opportunity to share with Mr. Bennet his plans of funding a search party to find Elizabeth and bring her home discreetly. He also informed him of Mr. Bingley's support and assured him that Elizabeth would be found and brought home safely. "I did not want to mention this in the presence of Mrs. Bennet. I will, however, need your cooperation to conduct this search."

"How can I thank you enough, Mr. Darcy. As for my assisting with the search, I would walk across England barefoot in the coldest winter if I have to, so long as it will help make even the slightest progress in the search for Lizzy."

"In that case, you must visit Netherfield with me so that we can organize the search party there. It is a safer and more discreet location to operate from since Longbourn will from henceforth be in the public eye."

"Let me get my coat so we can leave at once."

At that moment, they were interrupted by a loud banging on the front door. The two men exchanged a look and went out of the study, as Hill hurried to open the door. A moment later, she emerged with a group of men who all wore long coats and at the centre of them was Sir William, looking as fearsome as ever. He greeted Mr. Darcy and seemed a bit skeptical at his being there at all.

"It is quite a surprise to see you here, Mr. Darcy, I thought you would be resting at Netherfield after the traumatizing morning you had yesterday."

"I thought the same thing but as it turned out, I was compelled to accompany Bingley to come here."

"I want to be with my friends who have been very kind to me since my arrival at Meryton. I share in their sadness," Bingley added. He was sitting besides Miss Bennet and Miss Mary. Mrs. Bennet and her youngest children had left for a visit to her sister, Mrs. Phillips, at Meryton.

"In that case, it is unfortunate that I have to come with serious business at a time of mourning. But I have a duty to perform and as such, Mr. Bennet will be arrested as a suspect in the murder of Mr. Collins."

"Arrested?" Mr. Bennet asked, thoroughly shaken. "Why would I be a suspect in the murder of my cousin."

"That you are related is no reason not to suspect you, the rivalry between relatives has been happening since the beginning of humanity, it is no different now."

"For what reason, have I been suspected then?"

"Mr. Collins was to inherit this property after your death. That is before he was murdered, of course. So tell me, is it not suspicious that the first time he paid a visit to Meryton to see you, he was conveniently murdered? Would it be far-fetched to assume that you murdered him to protect your property and keep it within the family?"

"Please stop, you seem to be fascinated by your delusions and have taken mere speculations to be fact. You have no right to arrest me based on mere speculations." Mr. Bennet became calm, on hearing that Sir William did not seem to have any evidence.

"Mere speculation, you say? The body of Mr. Collins was found not too far from here."

"I would be a simpleton to murder Collins and left his body so close to my estate to incriminate myself."

"Perhaps you did that exactly for the purpose of using this excuse."

"I understand that you have a motive for this harsh and ridiculous accusation."

"And what would that be, Bennet," Sir William was at this point quite red in the face as opposed to Mr. Bennet who was more composed, having calmed down enough to prepare for it as though readying himself for a game of chess. "Is it not true that the people of Meryton believe you to be useless? Isn't this an opportunity for you to prove yourself useful and worthy of your position as the Magistrate?"

"What are you insinuating?" Sir William's ears were flaming red.

"You wish to use me to score some merit among the people."

Mr. Darcy seeing how the situation was taking a turn for the worst, decided to intervene before things got completely out of hand.

"I have to interject and say that this arrest, if put into effect, will be misleading and unjust. The real culprit is somewhere out there. Did any of you find any of Mr. Collins' valuables on him? His watch? His coat? His shoes? Any money? Perhaps his hat?"

Manders, Sir William's assistant, confirmed that nothing of value was found on Collins.

"It is clearly a case of robbery then!" Bingley added.

"In that case," said a frustrated Sir William, "I will do some more investigation but for the time being, Bennet, you are still the prime suspect. You will be contacted later for further interrogation."

With that, he left, feeling utterly satisfied. Sir William came today not really to arrest Bennet but to test some of his speculations. The fact that Darcy was found visiting was highly convenient for him. Sir William now knew that Fitzwilliam Darcy was conspiring with Thomas Bennet!


	8. A drunken Elizabeth

_A.N. Thank you, Happy Lizzy, Colleen, Liysyl, Nanciellen, for reviewing. Good to hear that you like the story so far and my version of Lizzy and Darcy. Sorry for the absence last week. I will post two chapters today. Happy reading!_

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**Chapter 8**

Colonel Fitzwilliam stared at the thin young girl with bruises and cuts on her face, hands and bare feet. Anger brewed in his chest and he wanted to gallop to Hertfordshire to beat the lowlife clergyman up, even though Collins was already dead. Richard had many questions, especially about the two children who wore tatters clothes and gurgled in meaningless words. They looked quite wild but luckily did not have any cuts to their faces. It seemed the evil Collins had spared the children, for the time being. However, Richard reframed from asking the young girl questions as he waited for Tuttle to bring the Magistrate, Lord Metcalf, here. He paced around and gazed out of the window into the wilderness at the back when he could no longer bear to lay his eyes on the poor girl in front of him. The Colonel now understood why Darcy favoured such an action. When one could or would not say something, it was better to look out of the windows. He had counted the number of scrubs in the back several times already.

"Daisy Mitford! What happened to you?" Lord Metcalf exclaimed, on entering the room.

"You know her, Sir?" Colonel asked as he greeted His Lordship.

"Not personally. Miss Daisy's father is the proprietor of The Tickled Trout near Maidstone. Peter Mitford reported her missing about three months ago and has taken the likeness of her to the Magistrates in the surrounding areas. I have seen it. My men have helped to search for her for a few weeks, without any success."

Lord Metcalf nodded to one of his men to take note. "What is your involvement in this, Colonel Fitzwilliam?"

Richard gave his account of the unexpected visit and argument with his aunt and on how he learned about Collins's absence.

"And you decided to invite yourself to another man's home without permission?" Metcalf raised his eyes at the Colonel.

"Mostly to annoy my aunt."

Lord Metcalf smiled on hearing the Colonel's words. He liked to deliberately annoy his wife's best friend, Lady Catherine, from time to time too. Metcalf did not understand why his sweet wife could be such a good friend with the arrogant and condescending Lady Catherine. But as long as his wife did not invite the woman to visit often, he was able to tolerate their friendship. His face turned sober immediately when he laid eyes on the bruises on Miss Daisy.

"Why did you stay in this room, instead of a guest room above stairs?" Metcalf continued to address the Colonel.

"I did not intend to stay here long, as I know Lady Catherine will send some servants to drag me back to Rosings soon. So I did not want to disturb any of the guest rooms. I wandered around a bit downstairs and found this surprisingly bare room with a bed. When I laid on it, I found that it was uneven. Tuttle and I then discovered a trap door underneath it and he volunteered and went down to investigate. Viola! He brought up not just a young girl, but two precious bundles."

Lord Metcalf nodded his head and turned to Daisy who was now sitting on the bed with the two toddlers. Tuttle had brought them some bread. She was eating it and feeding it to the children. "Miss Daisy, are you well enough to be interviewed now? I am Lord Metcalf, the Magistrate in this area."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"That hateful man kidnapped me here, said I was disrespectful to him when I served him a drink. He punched me, whipped me and choked me whenever he feels like it, mostly in the evenings. Had it been three months? It felt like years. I wanted to die so many times. The pain and aches were unbearable. Sometimes he led me out to the back garden in the dark with a rope tied around my neck and a gag over my mouth. Mr. Tuttle found me earlier, bless him! And the tall Colonel here guarded me silently while we waited for you." Tear run down Daisy's face as she told her story without stopping for breath, as if the sooner she finished, the quicker she could return to her normal life.

"You mean William Collins, the pastor living here in Hunsford, who was given a living by Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He is your kidnapper?"

"I don't know the evil man. He is fat and ugly. He asked me to call him Lord Collins or Master of Rosings. He was not wearing a cassock when he visited Papa's place. You mean someone who preaches God's words can be that wicked? I do not understand." Daisy shook her head.

What a delusional lunatic that Collins was! To call himself Master of Rosings! Richard thought.

"Sorry, Child," Lord Metcalf told Daisy, "there are good and evil men in every occupation. We will bring Collins back for you to identify. He will be punished for inflicting such cruelty against you. Now, what did you know about the children? Since you have only been kidnapped for three months, they are not yours."

"No, the evil clergyman said I am too lowly to be his lover. Thank the Lord! I am his slave. He said Adam and Noah are from his disobedient lovers. I take it he has buried the women out at the back. He mumbled about the women transgressing his Eleven Commandments. Eleven? I thought he was a simpleton who has never read the bible but you said he is a pastor."

Richard whipped his head to look out of the window again. Collins buried his lovers under the shrubs!

Daisy continued without prompting, "Before he left a few days ago, the wicked man said he was going to bring back a new lover to warm his bed and a compliant and deferential rose to be his Mistress of Rosings."

Richard couldn't stop the laugh. He wondered what his aunt would say about Collins's fantasy.

"What is the meaning of this!" The real Mistress of Rosings stamped her cane on the floor, looming over at the door. "Why was the Magistrate called, without me being informed?" Lady Catherine looked at Lord Metcalf and the Colonel with displeasure. "And what are these filths?" She raised her cane, pointing at Miss Daisy and Collins's sons.

~0~

"Oh, I have read about some charity work by this Mr. Darcy. He is quite wealthy, you said." Lucy stated. She was not strictly telling lies. She just omitted to say that Mr. Darcy's act of charity happened in 1839, way before her time.

"Yes, Miss Bingley fawns over him all the time, saying that he owns half of Derbyshire! She is so in love with his wealth and status! What do you think of status? Should that matter in marriage? Does it really matter if a poor girl marries a wealthy man or if a woman with means marries an impoverish man?" asked Elizabeth, she thought about Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley and herself and Mr. Wickham. Could she have mistaken Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham's character?

"It does not matter. It's as simple as two people meeting and falling in love. Why should such trivialities affect their decision to marry?" Lucy pronounced. "It is simply some people's vanity and hatred that drives such a foolish idea. They are such proud twats and cannot think for themselves. Everyone watches the other closely and envies and detests and spews evil gossip about the other."

"I wonder why you are not a revolutionary, Lucy? You have the oratory power. You should start a movement," Brenda commented.

"I agree," said Elizabeth, "You should really start an organization. I'm sure hundreds of women and men would follow you."

"Both of you flatter me too much, I wish I were half as good as you paint me to be. But movements start from discussions such as this. If this philosophy spreads from mouth to mouth and touches the heart of many, then a revolution has already begun. A great fire starts with only a spark, after all."

Elizabeth lamented. "My parents wish me to marry a cruel man who likes to beat women into submission only to stop their comfortable lifestyle from slipping away. I cannot imagine discussing with such a man, not to talk of marrying him."

"You must not marry this Collins fellow, no matter the consequence!" Brenda exclaimed. "If he is violent towards other women, then what will he do after you are married, he might kill you. I've heard of many cases of the husband killing the wife after giving her a severe beating. It is beyond me why any man would treat his wife in such a manner or even why the wife would stay in such a marriage. Happenings like this sometimes make me believe that we are truly at the world's end."

"I agree with Brenda," Lucy added. "You mustn't marry this vicious Collins. It will only lead you into a life of misery and depression. I know a woman who committed suicide after spending 10 years in a hopeless marriage. I would not wish such a fate upon anyone. You should marry someone you love, someone who will treat you right, or not marry at all. Find a way to support yourself. The reason I can be this strong today is the beautiful time I had with my late husband. And Brenda, don't be so pessimistic. The world will be better if we all do our bits to make it more open and harmonious. Both of you deserve good men who will treat you right. I am sure you will find them."

"Oh, such men are indeed rare, very rare as a matter of fact. But I will not marry until I find a man who makes me happy. I will never be Mrs. Collins." Elizabeth thought about the dead Mr. Collins for a second. She would need a new name and maybe flee England. What work could Elizabeth find to support herself? Perhaps she could escape to the New World, the 1811 Washington if she was able to return to her time.

"I still think that you and Mr. Darcy are onto something," Brenda commented. "He danced with no one but you at this ball. Mr. handsome Darcy stared at you all the time! He is in love with you and you admire him as well. You just didn't know your heart yet."

"That is not possible!"

"Yes, I think you do."

"Not possible!"

Elizabeth continued to protest and Brenda said she was correct. They did this until all three of them were belly deep in laughter.

Finally, when the hilarity stopped, Elizabeth said, "You two make some very valid points and I do fear that I have been too harsh on Mr. Darcy. However, he has in the past given me every reason to doubt him. This is a man who cares not what others think. While I will reconsider my stance on his ordeal with Mr. Wickham, I still doubt Mr. Darcy's innocence."

"Doubt is necessary in a case such as this, but you must be careful to doubt both parties equally, for they are both of them strangers to you," Lucy added.

They left the topic there. Brenda went for a nap while Lucy and Elizabeth tidied the house together. They left for the tavern a few hours later, with Lucy and Brenda walking ahead and Elizabeth following behind. Elizabeth was asked to wear a cap and pulled it low, to hide her face.

Elizabeth observed the buildings and the many stores with great awe. She was amazed at the place and thought that many people here were good at heart. They passed a boy who played the bagpipes, busking by the street. They paused to listen and Lucy gave him a coin. When they arrived at the busy industrial area, Lucy took them to weave through some alleyways. Finally, they arrived at a building with many of the windows boarded up. Several men and women from different races stood outside. Lucy nodded to one of them and a man opened the door for the three women to past. Elizabeth was relieved to see the words Hog's Tusk written boldly inside on a large board. They went in and many there greeted Lucy and Brenda. This time Lucy introduced Elizabeth to her friends. The three of them sat at a table and ordered drinks. They had a pint of beer each. It didn't taste as nice as Elizabeth expected but she liked it anyway and drank it heartily. She had never felt this free in her life. Even when Elizabeth rambled at Oakham Mount, she would always remember she was a gentleman. But here in this New World, she felt like all the chains of shackles were cut away. If not for missing Jane and her Papa, Elizabeth would gladly stay in 1892 with Lucy and Brenda.

A band came to play music and soon people were dancing. A black man came up to Elizabeth and asked her to dance. She hesitated at first, not sure if she knew how to dance these new vigorous steps. But Lucy and Brenda encouraged her to try. Elizabeth told herself to be brave and enjoy a new experience, dancing with a black man. She accepted and followed Martin out on the dance floor.

"Do you know how to tap-dance?" he asked.

"No, I don't, will you teach me?"

Martin held her hand and they danced what was reminiscent of the Irish jig but with quicker foot movements and more rhythm. It was a lively dance. Elizabeth loved the music and the pace and wanted badly to learn it. He held her by the waist and taught her the steps. She was uncomfortable with the close proximity at first but saw that every couple did the same. She relaxed and learned very quickly. They danced twice until the band took a break. Elizabeth joined Lucy and Brenda at their table and finished her drink. She was now a bit tipsy and in a jolly mood and high spirits.

"I think Martin wants to dance with you again," said Brenda.

Lucy and Brenda both teased Elizabeth and she blushed crimson. Martin was a good looking man, not as handsome or as intelligent as Mr. Darcy but he was quite eloquent in his opinion. She liked to talk to Martin and yet she kept comparing him to Mr. Darcy. Martin sought her out for another dance and they danced until it was late and Elizabeth had to go. On their way home, Lucy and Brenda sang a drunken song and laughed merrily with Elizabeth following a few steps away. Her head was heavy and she grinned silly from time to time as well. Many on the streets were also jolly with alcohol. There were sounds of loud greetings and laughter everywhere. Music poured through the streets and the night was alive. Despite her predicament, Elizabeth was happy with the freedom, to be unburdened from the restrictions imposed on a gentlewoman in English society.

After Brenda retired for the night, Lucy pulled Elizabeth to her bedroom and asked her pointedly, "Did you travel from 1839 England, through time into 1892 Washington?"

"Silly Lucy, did you bump your head during your dance?" A drunken Elizabeth blurted out her detail. "I was born Elizabeth Deborah Bennet in 1791, a gentlewoman in Hertfordshire, England. I have four sisters, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Lydia. I am from 1811! What quarrel do you have of 1839?"

Lucy smacked her head on her pillow and groaned. What business did this Elizabeth Bennet, "not a Hill", have, to travel over eighty years into the future? And why did Lucy have to be the one to find her in the cave? Wasn't her demotion punishment enough for her defiance of the authority? Now she sheltered a time bomb in her home. Lucy did not know how she could explain the situation if someone got suspicious about Elizabeth's appearance in her home.

~0~

Darcy sat in an unmarked carriage weaving through narrow streets in Cheapside. He was about to pay a visit to Elizabeth's uncle. While Darcy wanted to stay in Netherfield to give assistance to Mr. Bennet and search for Elizabeth, Darcy recognized the danger of staying close to Longbourn. After Sir William's last visit, Darcy suspected that the Magistrate of Meryton believed Mr. Bennet and he might have led to Collins's death. After much discussion, it was decided that Darcy could organize the search for Elizabeth more efficiently from London. By staying away from Mr. Bennet, it might lessen Sir William's suspicion. Bingley could act as the intermediary to relate any news that Darcy had for Mr. Bennet and vice versa. The final piece that made Darcy decided to return to London was the arrival of Miss Bingley. Bingley's sister had learned about Mr. Darcy's accident with the horse after he was separated from their party. She learned that Darcy discovered Collins's body and would be staying in Netherfield for some time. She managed to persuade Mrs. Hurst to close the townhouse at Grosvenor's Place and returned to Hertfordshire post-haste to ask after Mr. Darcy's wellbeing. Darcy would not tolerate Miss Bingley's belittling the Bennets nor her bootlicking. He left the next day, after Miss Bingley's arrival.

Since his return to London, Darcy had dispatched four teams of men to cover the roads in every direction from Oakham Mount to discreetly search for Elizabeth. He was then bereaved with inaction. He suddenly remembered Elizabeth's favoured aunt and uncle in London and sent a note to ask if he could visit them. He was glad that Mr. Gardiner agreed to meet him.

"Welcome, Mr. Darcy," Mr. Gardiner said. Darcy was shown into an elegant and spacious parlour. The couple dressed well but not in a gaudy way. He felt ashamed to have made jest of Mrs. Bennet's brother being in trade with Miss Bingley before. He could see that Mr. Gardiner had a fine manner as any gentlemen he knew.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, thank you for agreeing to meet up with me. I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances."

"Us as well," Mrs. Gardiner replied. "Since we received Mr. Bennet's express, we have been discussing how we could do to help find Elizabeth. Edward has sent out some men to enquire along the way we usually travel from Hertfordshire back to town. But we have heard nothing unusual yet."

Darcy nodded his head. He was glad to learn that Mr. Gardiner was not a man of inaction, either. He told the Gardiners his men would be searching from Oakham Mount instead and that he hoped to hear from Colonel Fitzwilliam from Kent soon.

"How can we ever repay your kind assistance to Elizabeth!" Mrs. Gardiner exclaimed. "You have taken so much upon yourself, for just an acquaintance."

"Miss Elizabeth is a wonderful, compassionate woman, so full of life and wit." Darcy choked out the words.

Mrs. Gardiner darted a glance at her husband. She understood the unsaid words by Mr. Darcy. He hoped to be more than a mere acquaintance to Elizabeth. The Darcys of Pemberley was such a wealthy and grand family Mrs. Gardiner had a hard time imagining Elizabeth being admired by Pemberley's master. But Elizabeth was a curious girl, always inquisitive. She treated her family, servants, tenants, tradesmen or anyone whom she came across, fairly and with kindness. Mrs. Gardiner was sure Elizabeth would be a fine mistress to such a great family, if only they knew where she was now. Why did Elizabeth not come to London? She and Edward would protect Elizabeth.

"One thing I would like to warn you, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. Sir William, the Magistrate in Meryton, seems to believe Mr. Bennet killed Mr. Collins to save Longbourn from passing onto Collins. And I am somehow helping Bennet to cover up the crime. That is why I came here today in an unmarked carriage."

"What?"

"While I doubt Sir William has the resources to send a man to follow me around London, day in day out. I do not want to give him a chance to find anything suspicious from your neighbours, if he comes to London to interview you."

Right at that moment, there was a rapping of the door. Tincton, Darcy's man of business, was shown into the parlour.

"Sorry for the interruption, Sir and Madam," Tincton greeted the party.

"Not to worry," Darcy said to Tincton and then turned to explain to the Gardiners. "I left instruction for Tincton to contact me immediately, no matter where I am, if there is any news from the search teams. Tincton, this is Miss Elizabeth's aunt and uncle. They know about the circumstances, so you can speak freely."

Tincton bowed and related the information. "Our southern team sent back a report that they have discovered sighting of a man and a woman acting strangely in a tavern near Theydon Bois the day Miss Elizabeth went missing."

"That is a tiny village, about 20 miles from Longbourn," Mr. Gardiner mumbled.

"What is so strange about the couple?" Darcy asked.

"The man is said to have a fresh scar on his left eye and some bruising on his fists. The woman wore a dark veil, covering her face. But one of the maids caught a glimpse of some red marks on the woman's neck. They looked like cuts by ropes or knives."

Darcy and the Gardiners gasped on hearing the detail but they did not interrupt Tinction's explanation.

"The height of the woman fits that of Miss Elizabeth but she was described as slightly more stocky than her, Sir. Her clothes are definitely not that of a gentlewoman but the wife of a farmer."

"Where was the couple heading?" Darcy asked.

"South. Our team gave chase but they lost the couple's trail near London docks. The man had pawned a pocket watch that our team purchased." Tincton then drew out a watch to show to Darcy. "Did you know if this belonged to the deceased? The initial at the back did not fit, though." Darcy and the Gardiners had a look at the watch, which was rather non-descriptive. The inscription at the back was not WC, for William Collins but CoR. Darcy would not know if it belonged to Collins or not.

"I will get someone to draw a likeness of it and send the picture to Mr. Bennet," Darcy said. "In the meantime, can you put it in a safe place. I would rather not keep it, in case the Magistrate from Meryton happens upon it in my possession. Did the southern team come across Sir William's men during their investigation?"

"One of our men followed Sir William's people. They only stopped at larger villages. They skipped Theydon Bois but asked around further south at Buckhurst Hill instead.

"Good! So the southern team lost sight of the couple at a pawn shop in London?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But one of the sales clerks saw them walking towards the docks. We believe the man might be needing the money to buy the tickets."

"Where to?" Darcy asked eagerly.

"We are still asking around. A dozen of cargo ships will be leaving London within these two days. From the money the man obtained at the pawn shop, we believe they could possibly join a ship to Ireland. And there is one leaving the dock in about three hours. That is why I came to ask if you want to interview the couple, Sir, if we locate them before they board a ship."


	9. Collins's diary

_A.N. Happy reading and do remember to review!_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Lady Catherine," Lord Metcalf said. "The young girl here is Daisy Mitford of The Tickled Trout Tavern. She was reported missing by her father three months ago. It appears she has been a victim of brutality at the hands of your pastor William Collins. She has been locked up in a room under this bed since her capture. I intend to send a warrant out for Collins's arrest."

"Nonsense! My clergyman is a humble, honest and righteous man whom I hand-picked out of more than a dozen candidates to serve my people. I have interviewed him extensively, testing his knowledge about the Church's teaching and principles. He answered all my questions to my satisfaction. Collins has served me well in the past 10 months. He would never hurt a soul, let alone beating a young girl to black and blue." Lady Catherine stomped her cane loudly on the floor once again and yelled at Daisy. "Young girl, confess to your lies! Or I will see you hanged for wrongfully accusing an upstanding member of the Church. Did you work with this strange man here to put a blemish on the reputation of my pastor?" She pointed her cane towards Tuttle and the two children he was holding. "These two bastards must be his!"

Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed out loud. "Aunt, Tuttle is my batman. He and I only came today from London. Both of us were in town for the past few months, with a camp-full of soldiers. How could Tuttle lock up Miss Daisy in the home of your 'righteous' pastor, beat her up continuously for three months? His Lordship, I think we need a doctor here to examine my Aunt's head too. Lady Catherine is clearly muddled about the respectability of her chosen pastor."

"Nonsense! If not this Tuttle, it could be any of you lowly men!" Lady Catherine then pointed her cane around to Lord Metcalf's men.

"Stop the shrieking this instance, Lady Catherine," Lord Metcalf barked out the order. "These are my men whom I brought along just now. I am the one with questions and you must answer them. Or else I will take you into custody for contempt. Now, where is Mr. Collins staying? I heard from Colonel Fitzwilliam that Collins is visiting his relatives up north."

"I am most seriously displeased with your tone and attitude," Lady Catherine retorted.

"Have a seat, Lady Catherine. Where is Mr. Collins?" Lord Metcalf asked again, his voice lowered but his eyes still blazed with fire.

"My pastor is in Longbourn, an estate in Hertfordshire that will be one day his, once his cousin dies. Collins has such a good situation in life. It is inconceivable that he would be a monster, as you described. There must be some misunderstanding."

Lord Metcalf then wrote a quick note and sent one of his men to contact the Magistrate in the nearest town to Longbourn for the arrest of Collins.

"How could you be so hasty? What if this young girl makes up everything?" Lady Catherine complained.

Miss Daisy bolted from the bed and stood in front of Lady Catherine. "You old cat! How dare you accuse me of lying? Do these look like lies to you?" Daisy pulled up the sleeves of her clothes and showed the criss-cross scars on her arms. "Do these look like something I made them up myself?" She then pulled up the dress and showed the lashes and cuts on her legs. "This evil Lord Collins, or Master of Rosings, inflicted these injuries on me. He does not know the Bible a dot! His 11 commandments are all rubbish, not a thing similar to what I have learned from the Church on Sunday."

"Step away from me, wild child! I am the Mistress of Rosings and my husband Sir Lewis de Bourgh, the Master of Rosings, has been dead for over a decade. Whoever locked you up in there must not be my pastor. Mr. Collins is very reverent to my family and me. He would never dare call himself the Master of Rosings."

"His Lordship, may I make a suggestion?" Tuttle addressed Lord Metcalf before Lady Catherine could berate Tuttle for interrupting. Metcalf nodded for the Colonel's batman to continue. "Perhaps showing a likeness of Mr. Collins could resolve the disagreement?"

Richard exclaimed. "Indeed! There is a portrait of Collins up in one of the chambers upstairs."

"How could Mr. Collins afford to have his portrait painted?" Lord Metcalf murmured. "And Colonel, I thought you said you did not want to disturb the guest chambers."

"Good question about the portrait. Perhaps my Aunt can shed light on that. As for the second, I did not want to sleep in the guest chambers. But Tuttle and I had a quick look at all the chambers above, before I decided to rest in this one downstairs."

Metcalf called one of his men to bring down the portrait which was about 15 inches tall.

"Yes, that is my faithful pastor William Collins." Lady Catherine said.

Daisy stepped forward and spat at the man on the portrait. She then turned to stare down Lady Catherine. "Yes, that is the despicable Lord Collins. He claimed to be the Master of Rosings, who has lovers to warm his bed and slaves to do his chores. For the pleasure of his heart, he loves to beat up the slaves. Check out the wilderness in the back, he said he buried a lot of his bad-mannered women at the back. He said he will bring back a Mistress of Rosings after his visit. Are you his wife, old cat? Be careful that Lord Collins will replace you and dump you at the back in no time!"

Lord Metcalf was alarmed by Miss Daisy's revelation. He instructed his men to dig up the back garden at Hunsford, while Lady Catherine demanded the Magistrate to keep her informed when he exonerated her clergyman. She did not deign it possible to stay with the girl savage and her bastards a moment longer.

Before sunset that day, three bodies were dug up from the back garden of the vicarage. To the horror of Lord Metcalf and Colonel Fitzwilliam, they also found diary entries written by Collins. He detailed the systematic abuse and torture of various women, including Miss Anne de Bourgh.

~0~

Meanwhile in Washington, eighty more years in the future, Lucy confronted Elizabeth early the next morning, after Brenda had left the house.

"Elizabeth, you better tell me the truth about how you got to be in D.C.?"

"What do you mean? I told Brenda and you already, about Mr. Collins and that I lost consciousness after the attack."

"Last night, you told me you were from 1811!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "I was drunk."

"Some people speak the truth when they are least guarded."

"But you believe me? That I travel through time? You will not send me to an asylum, thinking me insane?"

Lucy sighed. "I do not know what to believe. But I promise you that I will not send you away. Please tell me the truth."

Seeing Lucy's troubled expression and reassured by her promise, Elizabeth drew in a deep breath and said, "I must beg you to be patient with me. I have spent a good amount of time wanting to understand how I happened to come here, to this place, to America. And my conclusion is that it must have been an act of God or the Devil."

Lucy raised her eyes but did not interrupt.

"As I told you before, I was born a gentlewoman in 1791 in Hertfordshire, England. On 27th November 1811, I was attacked by Mr. Collins at the base of Oakham Mount. I managed to escape but had fallen down a pit that led to a cave. When inside, I noticed a series of bright lights. I went closer, wanting to see what it was. It was a metallic thing unlike anything I had ever seen, a black metal parasol thing with many holes that shot out bright spurts of light. When I touched the surface, I remember feeling a sense of peace and weightlessness come over me. Then the next thing I knew, I was on a bed, in your house. I know how crazy this must sound but I haven't told a single lie. I do not want to believe it myself, how could I have suddenly appeared in 1892? I wish any of this made sense."

There was, for a moment, complete silence as they did their best to gather their thoughts. Elizabeth thought of her family at Longbourn and her heart became heavy, for she missed them all. She considered that they would have noticed her absence and must be sick with worries. If only Elizabeth had not walked up Oakham Mount. Lucy was struck by the enormity of the situation and both excited and scared that she was part of it. What a marvel that travels through time was really possible!

"So, I suppose I am trapped here," Elizabeth murmured.

"Let us not lose hope so soon," replied Lucy, "There might still be a solution. I suppose we have to find a way to help your case somehow, but for all my knowledge, nothing comes to mind." Lucy paused and shook her head. "This is indeed a hard case. A very hard case. But it is possible that if we retrace our steps, we might find ourselves a reasonable solution, do you think likewise?"

"What do you mean, how can we possibly retrace our steps?" Elizabeth questioned mournfully.

"It is simple, we have to, first of all, go where we started."

"The cave?"

"Yes, the cave at Rock Creek. That is where we ought to begin. Let us get ourselves ready at once. You have been here for a few days already. We do not want your family to grieve over your disappearance for too long." And with those words, they set about preparing for the trip and eventually left the house.

They walked at a steady pace, one ahead of another, not giving the impression that they knew each other. Soon, the two women moved on to a place with large fields, without any pass-bys. They talked as they went on. Elizabeth found that she could learn much from Lucy and listened closely to all that she said. They walked and walked until they left the houses behind and got to some wilderness, and then the mouth of a cave. The cave looked extraordinarily familiar to Elizabeth and she thought to herself that it must be the cave at Oakham Mount. She was so excited she almost leaped with joy. She would finally be going home.

"This is the cave I found you in while I was collecting herbs. I suppose a clue must lie around here somewhere. Let us go in and explore," Lucy said, lighting the torch she brought along. "Be careful, the most dreadful things can sometimes happen in the wild, so be on guard."

With those words, they entered the cave. They ventured further and further, finding nothing and occasionally being frightened by small animals. They soon reached what seemed to be the mouth of another opening within the cave.

"Do we go in?" asked Elizabeth. She silently wished Lucy would say no and when Lucy replied, saying 'Yes', she swallowed her fear and walked in boldly.

They walked for an even longer time in this new cave until they could see a brightness at the end of the dark passage, it did not look like a natural ray but rather like a flame-lit part of the cave. When they almost reached the light, Lucy gestured to Elizabeth to stop. Lucy placed a finger on her mouth and stepped towards the glow. She had nearly gotten there when they heard the sound of laughter. Terrified to their bones, they turned to see where the sound came from.

It was a man!

His clothes were full of dust like he had travelled a great distance. What was even stranger was that he held two stems of sunflower in his hands, creating a very sharp contrast with his appearance. He said, "Ave! Salvete Porta!"

Elizabeth glanced at Lucy, not knowing what to say or do. Lucy looked at her, just as helplessly for a moment. Did the man even speak English? Then gathering her confidence, Lucy said clearly and slowly, "We come here peacefully and mean you no harm. Please do not harm us and kindly allow us to finish our business and leave."

"Harm?" The man replied in perfect English. "How would two fine ladies such as yourselves have it in your hearts to harm me. I wish you no harm as well, all I wish is that you take this sunflower from me as a present." He then handed Lucy and Elizabeth the sunflower. "As for whatever it is you both seem to be looking for, there is nothing more left to search, you are at the end of this passage and all that is left is my lights." For fear of upsetting him, Lucy and Elizabeth took the sunflower and thanked him. Lucy then grabbed Elizabeth's hand and they left hurriedly.

When outside, they both marveled at the events that had taken place and soon began to laugh over it. Still, there was a cloud of disappointment that hung over them. Sensing a sadness in Elizabeth, Lucy hugged her and spoke a kind word to set her mind at ease. They strolled back to Lucy's house, unaware that each of them saw a different man from the same physical being. In Elizabeth's eyes, the man looked to be in a blue military uniform. He was well shaven and wore a hat; while Lucy saw a white man with a full beard and in a gentleman suit. Should they discussed the physical appearance of the man in the cave, they would have scared themselves out of their wit.

~0~

Darcy decided to follow Tincton to the docks, in a hackney. Mr. Gardiner wanted to join him as well but was discouraged by Darcy, due to similar concerns Darcy had about Sir William. They were met with one of the men from the South team who told them that they had found the couple waiting outside a shipping office about five minutes away.

Even in his least best clothes, Darcy stood out from most of the crowd in the area. Tincton accompanied Darcy to wait in a narrow laneway by the water, while Tincton's man went to persuade the couple to come to talk to them.

"Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher."

"Thank you for agreeing to talk to me," Darcy said.

"What do you want from us?" Fisher asked. He looked to be in his late twenties, with some ugly bruising and cuts, as reported by Tincton.

"I want to reassure you that I am not from the authority. I understand that you two have travelled from a small town named Meryton in Hertfordshire…"

"I know no Meryton and I don't like your men following us," Fisher raised his voice, grabbed the woman's hand and turned to leave. But Tincton and his men blocked their way.

"Please, Mr. Fisher," Darcy said in an anxious voice. "I just want to ask you about a friend of mine who has gone missing."

"I know nothing about your fancy friends and I don't have anything to say to someone like you."

"My friend is a young gentlewoman and she has been missing for many hours from Oakham Mount. Her parents and sisters are sick with worries about her. If you know anything…"

"No, no and no! And get out of my way!" Fisher yelled at Tincton.

"Paul," the woman pulled her husband's hand. "perhaps there is no harm telling him."

"What if he is a magistrate?"

"He is not Sir William." Darcy turned to gaze at the woman. Mrs. Fisher must be from Meryton as she knew that William Lucas was the Magistrate! He decided to appeal to the woman's compassionate side. "My friend is Elizabeth Bennet from Longbourn, an estate near Meryton. She was believed to be walking up Oakham Mount on 27th November when she went missing. She is a kind young woman who is good and polite to everyone. Did you happen to know where she is, Mrs. Fisher?"

Fisher pulled his wife away. Tincton's men were still blocking the alleyway. He pushed Darcy aside and walked towards the water instead.

"Where are you going?" Tincton was alarmed as the couple was close to the edge of the water. He didn't want them to jump into the river.

"If you promise to let us go and not follow us, I will tell you." Mrs. Fisher called out.

"Yes, I promise," Darcy replied immediately.

"No, don't trust him!" Fisher argued with his wife.

"I can make it worth your while," Darcy said. "You don't need to go with a cargo ship but take a proper ship from Liverpool to Dublin as passengers. I will pay for your coach fare to Liverpool too."

"You know nothing about our plan. Save your penny. We don't need your help." Fisher pulled his wife with him, stepping back from the water edge and moved towards Tincton.

"Paul saw a young woman accidentally fell down a pit at a hill in Hertfordshire, Mr. Darcy. But he did not know if that was Oakham Mount or not, as he is not from that county."

"Did you help her?" The question tumbled out of Darcy's mouth quickly. His heart sank. Elizabeth could be lying down the bottom of a pit, injured or dead, for the past days!

"I ran to have a look but I couldn't see or hear her from the pit," Fisher replied reluctantly.

"Can you take me to the pit?"

"Certainly not! We have told you what we know. Now let us go." Fisher said.

Darcy wanted to grab the man and force-marched him back to Meryton but he had promised Mrs. Fisher. And he had another solution up his sleeves. Darcy nodded for Tincton to let the couple go.

At least, Darcy now had a location for Elizabeth, if Fisher was telling the truth. He strolled out of the laneway and nodded to Gardiner's men waiting from the opposite side of the street. Gardiner's men took over the trailing of the Fishers. Darcy walked back to another hackney Tincton had hired, not aware that Mrs. Fisher had called him Mr. Darcy.


	10. Mr Darcy's generosity

_A.N. Thank you, Jana7, Happy Lizzy, Nanciellen, Colleen S, Liysyl, for commenting. I love Holmes and other detective stories too. I won't be revealing who Mrs. Fisher was for some time. As for the two toddlers, Guest, I will mention soon. Happy reading and reviewing!_

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**Chapter 10**

"Darcy, welcome back!" Mr. Bennet greeted his young friend.

Darcy nodded his head. He could not bring himself to say that it was good to be back in Hertfordshire. Instead, he focused on the introduction. "Mr. Bennet, this is my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam."

Mr. Bennet and the Colonel shook hand. "Thank you, Colonel, for what you have done for us."

"Well, Darcy is the slave-driver. So all thanks should be to him!"

Darcy glared at his cousin. Richard's inappropriate jest often grated on him.

"Come on, Darcy, smile," Bingley said. "I shall be marrying my angel in three days. If you continue to be this grumpy, I will ask Richard to stand up with me, instead of you."

A rare smile broke on Darcy's face. He could never be too boorish when Bingley was around. And indeed, he should shake away the anguish and melancholy of the last one and a half months. Some good had come out of the disappearance of Elizabeth on the 27th of November last year. Bingley would be marrying Miss Jane Bennet in three days, on the 9th of January.

Darcy learned from Mr. Bennet's letter that he had been shaken by his lack of consideration for the future of his daughters. Mr. Bennet decided to take to the education of Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia seriously. Despite Mrs. Bennet's protest, both young women now spent the mornings learning Latin, modern languages, literature, philosophy, history and other scholarly subjects under Mr. Bennet's guidance. In the afternoons, Miss Bennet and Miss Mary joined them to learn music, singing, drawing, dancing and household management from two women hired by Darcy. The women did not live in Longbourn but in Meryton in a house established under Gardiner's name. Miss Kitty and Lydia still occasionally bemoaned their lack of freedom to walk to Meryton and flirt with members of the militia or to visit their friends and gossip. The daily routine and their father's regular discipline had slowly transformed the attitude and behaviour of the two young ladies.

Mr. Bennet initially refused Darcy's generosity but yielded after Gardiner's explanation. Gardiner and Darcy had become close friends in London. Darcy had told Gardiner that he considered his help as a penance for his slight of Miss Elizabeth at the Assembly. He was also ashamed of his abominable treatment of the Bennets and their neighbours in Meryton previously. Mr. Gardiner understood the reason behind Darcy's assistance. The younger gentleman was not a man of inaction and Darcy wanted to do something, rather than wallowing in his sorrow about the death of Elizabeth.

"Hey, that is not the right tone to talk to your landlord," Gardiner defended Darcy to Bingley.

"You should hear Caroline's tone when she talked about Netherfield's newly-minted landlord," Bingley laughed. He imitated his sister's high-pitched nasal voice. He said, "Should we change the wallpaper of the breakfast-parlour to a forest green? Mr. Darcy loves favourite colour."

"Oh, Miss Bingley believes Darcy bought Netherfield for her? I thought his purchase was supposed to be a secret." the Colonel raised his eyes.

"That was my bad," Bingley said, his face red with embarrassment. "I left one of Darcy's letters on my desk for a mere second and Caroline chose that moment to come to serve me tea."

Darcy and Richard did not believe Miss Bingley's chance happenstance of the intelligence. They suspected that Miss Bingley had searched Bingley's private correspondence. "Did you not write in a secret language?" Richard asked Darcy.

"It was not covert enough for Caroline. She worked it out the next day. Luckily by then, I have got permission from Darcy to tell her, if required. Since then, Mr. Bennet has agreed to lock my letters at Longbourn."

Richard shook his head. Darcy was not happy about letting Miss Bingley know about his purchase. He was still wary about Sir William Lucas, even though the warrant from Lord Metcalf had forced Sir William to reconsider Mr. Collins. The murder victim was a monster who could have many enemies wanting him dead.

"What has she got to say about my cousin's crazy purchase of Oakham Mount?"

Bingley continued his impersonation of his sister, "The hill is dreadfully small. Still, if Mr. Darcy is going to build a smaller version of Pemberley there for me, I would not refuse it. But after we marry, I shall forbid him to waste his fortune on such a sad piece of land. He could have used the money to decorate our townhouse to my taste or buy me a few more pieces of diamond jewellery. Perhaps an orange tiara for my wedding will be the talk of the town."

Amid the laughter of other gentlemen, Darcy groaned with frustration and anger. After the meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, Darcy had sent the south team back to Hertfordshire to search Oakham Mount discreetly. But he was impatient with the lack of progress. Unfortunately, Gardiner's men lost the trail of the Fishers at Bromley. The couple had not gone to Ireland, as Tincton had thought. The likeness of the watch pawned by Fisher was sent to Longbourn via Bingley. One of Mr. Bennet's servants was able to confirm that the watch was indeed Mr. Collins, but no one at Longbourn knew who Fisher was. Mrs. Fisher's veil had prevented Darcy or his men to observe the woman and draw a likeness of her. Therefore Darcy was none the wiser about Mr. and Mrs. Fisher. He suspected the Fishers practise thievery using Mrs. Fisher as the lure. Mr. Collins could have discovered the woman's duplicity and hurt her in the process. Her husband could have killed Collins during his rescue and robbery. However, nothing was found at Oakham Mount could tie Collins's murder to the Fishers, except the watch. The knife was never found.

Darcy wished he could re-interview Paul Fisher. He still had three teams of men scouting different areas in the country. He would not accept Elizabeth's death until her body was found. He decided to stage a more thorough search of the pits at Oakham Mount by purchasing it anonymously, in case Fisher was telling the truth. He had a feeling Mrs. Fisher was an honest woman. Oakham Mount was half a square mile, on the Longbourn side. The cost was unimportant to Darcy. He had hired some retired soldiers through the Colonel. They had just started the search at Oakham Mount today, under the pretence of exploring chalk pits in the area for possible business purposes. That was why Mr. Bennet was thanking Richard earlier, for securing the larger search teams.

In the exchange of letters with Mr. Morris, the agent in Hertfordshire, Darcy's lawyer learned that the landlord of Netherfield Park wanted to sell it too, including Bingley's lease. Darcy bought it as well. He was considering to use it as a second home as he wished to visit Mr. Bennet more often. His friendship with Elizabeth's father grew in the past weeks.

The sale had just completed and Miss Bingley, after learning the information from her brother, already speculated furiously and incorrectly about Darcy's motives of the purchase. Bingley should have stopped his sister's delusion, Darcy thought angrily. He would never marry Caroline Bingley. His heart belonged to Elizabeth. Miss Bingley was like a bird of prey, eyeing and circling around Darcy constantly since he had arrived at Netherfield this afternoon. He was relieved to have this gentlemen-only meeting at Longbourn tonight.

"Let us talk about other things," Darcy said to Mr. Bennet. "Sir, how did the search for the next heir of Longbourn go?"

"Phillips said he has exhausted all other avenues," Mr. Bennet then explained the matter to the other gentlemen. "Since Adam and Noah, the two toddlers found captive underground at Hunsford, are illegitimate, they cannot inherit Longbourn. And Lady Catherine is adamant that her daughter's mind has been poisoned by Collins, they could not have gotten married without her knowing. She insists that the unborn baby of Miss de Bourgh be given up and not recognized, Phillips recommended me to break the entail. I shall be free to name anyone as my heir, once my application is approved."

"There is no telling that Anne would be able to deliver the baby successfully. She is so downtrodden and sick," Richard said sharply. "If I could lay my hands on that monster Collins, I would kill him with my bare hands!"

Much had happened in Kent since Metcalf and the Colonel had discovered Collins's journal. They immediately visited Rosings. Lady Catherine forbade them to see Miss de Bourgh at first until Metcalf took Her Ladyship away for obstruction of justice. Anne was Mr. Collins's lover. He seduced Anne with tender and attentive words over some weeks whenever she drove by Mr. Collins' house with her little phaeton and ponies and her companion. Once he had persuaded Anne to meet him alone in a secluded wood and taken her virtue, he enjoyed playing the powerful master, with his words and fists, over the docile and obedient woman. At first, Anne wanted to tell her mother but she was intimidated by Collins's verbal threats and punches. She continued to meet Collins secretly at his order. Anne was four months pregnant. She could not believe that Mr. Collins was murdered. She would retreat to her own world often, remembering some of the sweet moments when Mr. Collins seduced her or felt like bestowing her.

She insisted that Collins and she got married secretly at a church one afternoon, but she did not know where. Richard had sent someone to investigate the registers at various churches near Rosings but nothing was found so far.

Darcy would not want Mr. Bennet's application for the break up of the entail to be hindered, should Anne give birth a legitimate son to Collins. Sometimes in the darkest of his despair for Elizabeth, Darcy would want to harm Collins, the devil, himself. He hoped the search team at Oakham Mount would give him closure soon.

~0~

A month and a half had passed since Elizabeth's arrival in Washington. She was now quite settled, having accepted the possibility that she might never return to 1811 and would probably never see her family. She was often saddened by it but rallied her spirit with the help of Brenda and Lucy.

Brenda sometimes reminded Elizabeth of her Papa, due to their intellectual debates. Brenda's utopian views about philosophy and the meaning of life echoed Elizabeth's thoughts before the 27th of November 1811. Elizabeth believed she had aged overnight on that fateful day. Bidding ideals goodbye, Elizabeth became uncertain and confused about everything in life and the purpose of it.

Lucy, however, provided Elizabeth an anchor. She encouraged Elizabeth to put aside the worries and embrace the opportunities instead. When Lucy asked Elizabeth what she would like to do in Washington, Elizabeth decided to learn some skills. The skills that could support herself in America, or back in England, if she had to hide from her family due to Collins's death.

First, she started learning about herbs and medicine under Lucy's tutelage. Back at Longbourn, Jane was the one who liked to work in the still room, drying flowers for perfume and herbs to smooth their mother's nerve. Elizabeth had, in the past, dismissed the skill as trivial. But after seeing Lucy treating her neighbours from cold, fever, and more, Elizabeth found it fascinating and fulfilling. Lucy taught her how to recognize plants and flowers and what their use could be to cure people's ailment. The first came easy to Elizabeth because she loved to ramble when she was back home and already possessed keen eyes for detail of flora and fauna in nature. The second part was applying herself diligently to learn and memorize the information. Discipline in learning did not come to Elizabeth quickly as her father never force any of them to study according to routine. Lucy being a principal by occupation, saw Elizabeth's problem quickly. She helped Elizabeth to remain steady to her purpose by asking her to help with collecting, recording the herbs and dispensing them when Lucy treated her patients.

The second possible occupation Elizabeth engaged in was writing.

"How did your writing go today?" Lucy asked Elizabeth.

"Good, there are so many new inventions since my time. I am sure my 'Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller' will be well-received by people in England. Perhaps Prince Regent will become my fan and invite me to St. James Court for an audience. I can then tell more stories than Sir William about my court appearance." Elizabeth jested.

"Sir William Lucas, your best friend Charlotte's father? The generally congenial one?"

"Yes, Charlotte's father is easily impressed by lofty titles and social grandeur." Elizabeth smiled.

Lucy shook her head at Elizabeth's satirical description of Sir William.

"He was our Mayor before he was knighted. He serves as the Magistrate now for this year and the next."

Lucy tapped her fingers under her jaw. "He sounds like an ambitious man. I often find that people having an ambition on wealth also like a firm grip on power."

"Sir William, a power-hungry man? I can't imagine that. No, no, he is inoffensive, friendly and obliging."

"But you tell me he is all attention to everybody. I bet you he is storing his memory with everyone's anecdotes for future gain. Imagine how grand he would feel if he solves a serious crime instead of petty dispute or argument over a missing chicken?"

"You are very negative and suspicious today, Lucy. You don't sound like yourself. What is the matter with you?"

"I just thought about many of my fellow people being wrongfully accused today. I will always have a problem with people with authority."

"But you are the one with authority. You have been the principal of a great school."

"Not anymore. I think it is a good thing I did not yield to the board of education's demand. I can't stop giving my teachers and students radical ideas in support of Plessy's case. We are a preparatory High School for Colored Youth, for crying out loud! If we do not support the course of our fellow men, who would?"

"Indeed. But it cost you the position."

"Sometimes a loss in life means a gain in opportunity. I think I was too hasty when I chose my major at university. I am seriously considering going back to university to study medicine. Saving lives can be very rewarding."

"True, but as a teacher and principal, you aspire future generations! A good and passionate teacher like you, Lucy, can save many young people and shape society in the future."

"Thank you for saying that, Lizzy," Lucy hugged Elizabeth. "I must thank the Lord for sending you to me, through time. Otherwise, I would have drowned myself in whiskey for being demoted."

"You will not do that. You are too enthusiastic about life," Elizabeth patted Lucy on the shoulders. "Going back to your thoughts about black people being wrongly accused of a crime. I think it happens in my time too. I read about young men and women who are usually servants or workers; they were arrested for minor offences and sentenced for transportation and in the worst case for hanging. I suspect many were unfairly judged or wrongfully accused. I wonder what could be done to prevent that. So many young lives are lost because of that."

"Perhaps you can write that in your futuristic diary. A case of how fingerprinting proves the real culprit and exonerates your young maid?"

"Fingerprinting?"

"It was widely reported early this year, an Argentinian anthropologist and police officer called Vucetich made the first positive identification of a criminal using fingerprinting." Lucy went to retrieve a magnifying glass, put her hand next to Elizabeth's, and pointed out to the ridges on their fingers.

"See closely, the pattern of your ridges on your fingers are different from mine."

Elizabeth examined the patterns in detail. "You are right! But what is the significance of this?"

"Earlier, an English anthropologist Francis Galton published a book about it. He identifies the individuality and uniqueness of fingerprints, impressions left by our fingers due to moisture or grease. Vucetich used this technique to solve a case. Apparently, a woman had killed her two children and then cut her throat, trying to put the blame on an outside attacker. A blood print was found and identified by Vucetich to be that of the mother's, not an outsider's."

"What an awful mother!"

"I know. But what a marvelous piece of advancement to help the wrongfully accused to prove their innocence!"

Strangely, Elizabeth often thought of Mr. Darcy when she interacted with Lucy. The older woman's zest and enthusiasm contrasted vastly with the gentleman's calmness. And yet, Elizabeth found a connection between the two. As if under Mr. Darcy's quiet demeanor laid a passion and energy, rivalling that of Lucy's steady composure in time of stress and pressure. Lucy's fair and deep thoughts about different aspects of an issue seemed parallel to that of Mr. Darcy's.

One incident came to Elizabeth's mind about Lucy's fortitude. The two of them had visited the cave twice and saw the strange man there both times. Elizabeth still remembered Lucy's conversations with the man on the last occasion.

"Why do you live here, Sir? I can help you talk to authority. There are special housing in town for people with reduced situations. Surely you cannot stay here when the winter comes. It will be too cold!"

"Thank you for your kindness, my dear," the man smiled at Lucy. "You are both brave and compassionate. A rare find in this world. I am sure your young friend is the same. But my duty dictates my life. My honour equates the keeping of life."

Lucy and Elizabeth exchanged a confused look. Lucy thought for a moment and decided to play along with the man's muddled mind. "You are the keeper of life? What an important responsibility! How…could we live life?" Lucy asked hesitantly, not sure she understood the man entirely.

"To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace is simple. To forgive time, to forget life, to be resolute is challenging. Show the reasons in your eyes to me and you can change your presence." The man stared at them in such a bizarre way that Lucy decided to bid him goodbye and hurried Elizabeth to leave the cave. What did the man mean?


	11. Mr Darcy gave up

_A.N. Thank you, Iiysyl and Happy Lizzy, for commenting. And other lovely readers, I hope you are still enjoying the story. Do remember to review and give me encouragement!_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"I have been thinking," said Elizabeth, "that perhaps I should travel to England on board a magnificent steamship and return to Meryton. How much would it cost to get a ticket? I should do more paintings to earn money. Maybe if I visit the cave at Meryton, I might be able to return to my time." Lucy was out delivering some herbs to the National Zoological Park and Elizabeth was tagging along. Elizabeth intended to do some writing and draw some of the modern scenes at the zoo while Lucy conducted her business with the veterinary doctor. It was one of the rare late November days when the sun was high and the air was warm.

"I have considered that possibility as well. Do you suppose that any member of your family might still be alive? It's been over 80 odd years. By some miracle, your sisters might still be alive."

"That is hardly possible, Lucy, perhaps Kitty and Lydia, but then they would be almost 100 years old. The two of them with white hair, no teeth and wrinkled face, how droll! But I seriously doubt they will be alive. No, no, it would be far too disturbing an experience. Perhaps I should be content with staying here in Washington, ignorance, after all, is bliss."

"If any of them are still alive then, seeing you would be quite a shock."

"I cannot even imagine," Elizabeth shook her head. "I've changed quite a lot since I got here, haven't I? It feels strange, with this strength and confidence that has grown inside me. It is almost as though a weight has been lifted off my back and I can breathe for the first time."

"You have always been strong and confident. You are only just realizing it. Did you not talk bravely with Mr. Caveman last time?"

"My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me. Mr. Ianu is not as fearsome as I first thought." The dusty man in the cave had told Elizabeth and Lucy his name but Lucy still preferred to call him Mr. Caveman.

"Indeed," Lucy said. "From what I know of your time, the worth of a woman is measured by her ability to perform certain gender-specific roles and her physical beauty. You've learned that our true worth lies within yourself, that lesson in itself is freedom."

"True," Elizabeth said. "But if I leave for England by ship now, I fear I will miss you unbearably."

"I will miss you as well, Lizzy. But I have come to terms with the possibility that you will have to leave and we will never see each other again. That is the original order of our lives and history. Now it is unnatural. But I'll be fine, I have Brenda to keep me company." Lucy said with her mouth gaped open and then shouted, "Eureka!"

Elizabeth rushed to Lucy's side and put her hand on Lucy's forehead. "Are you not feeling well?"

"No, no, it is Brenda and her Oscar Wilde!"

"What about him?"

"I thought I had heard the caveman's riddle before but for the life of me, I couldn't remember it. But just now, it came to me. Brenda had belted it out once when we talked about life and death. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace is simple. Wilde talked about death, saying that death must be so beautiful, to have no yesterday, and no tomorrow."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I did not know Brenda's beloved Irish poet as he was born after my time. But did you mean that Mr. Ianu was trying to warn me that I should die in peace in Washington?"

"No, no," Lucy shook her head excitedly. "Didn't Mr. Caveman not add another part to the riddle? To forgive time, to forget life, to be resolute is challenging. I think he might be saying that to reverse death or to live, one must be resolute, be determined and firm in one's purpose."

"Show the reasons in your eyes to me and you can change your presence!" Both women recited the last part of Caveman's words. "I must look Mr. Ianu in the eyes and show him that I want to live my life, back in 1811…" Elizabeth said.

"and…you can change your presence in time!" Lucy continued. Her voice pitched higher. "Did you remember today's date? And the cave is no more than a mile from here." Lucy hurried Elizabeth to walk faster once they left the people of the zoo behind as they walked up to Rock Creek.

"It is the 27th of November 1892. What if I travelled back to the 27th of November 1811? That monster Collins could be waiting at the top of the cave for me to emerge and kill me!"

Lucy stopped in her track. She stared at Elizabeth. Her brow tightened, showing her deep in thought and then she grabbed Elizabeth's hands. "I know nothing to Adam about this time travel business, but I think Mr. Ianu could be the gatekeeper of time. He said he has a duty to the keeping of life. Surely such a gentleman would not send you through time to death."

"But, a sly soldier would?"

"Soldier? Did you imagine Mr. Caveman a lying militia like your charming Mr. Wickham?"

"He always dresses in a blue military uniform. I did wonder why he never introduces his rank to us."

"What!" Lucy exclaimed. "Mr. Caveman always dresses in gentleman suit."

"Did you have a hallucination? I have not seen Mr. Ianu in a gentleman suit before."

"How could he be wearing different clothes in front of our eyes? I shall give him a tongue-lashing for scaring you and me," Lucy said with indignation. "even if Mr. Caveman were a ghost or a deity of time-travel." They had finally arrived at the mouth of the first cave.

"Are you crazy?" Elizabeth said, pulling Lucy back away from the cave. "Do you still think we should confront Mr. Ianu, a ghost or a deity, if he is there?"

"Why not? I have not done anything wrong. If he wanted me dead or gone crazy, he could have done that previously."

"I wish I was as brave as you."

"Now, there is only one way for us to find out, if I am as brave as I said."

"You are not suggesting that we go in there, are you?"

"I'm feeling very lucky today."

"I want to go in but besides fearing the confrontation with Mr. Ianu, I doubt I would be able to handle the disappointment. Maybe another time, we'll come with a torch and do another thorough search."

"That sounds like a plan," Lucy signed with relief. She was pretending to be braver than she felt. "We need to get you home and back to your beloved Mr. Darcy."

"He is not my beloved," Elizabeth said, laughing.

"If you say so."

They turned to leave and had barely made two steps when a drizzle started. The women decided they could continue walking in the rain but the shower grew until a heavy rain fell in its place. Having no way to protect themselves from the rain, they retraced their way and ran into the cave instead. They stood shivering in the darkness, no torch for light and no way to dry themselves.

"We might as well have entered earlier," Elizabeth said quite impatiently. "Luckily, I protected my diary with an oil-skin wrap." Lucy felt around for a torch, hoping they would be lucky that Mr. Caveman was no ghost but a vagabond who might have left something useful behind. She found none, so she sat on the cave floor, soaked, upset and defeated. "How did such a promising day turn so sour so quickly," she asked.

"I might actually hate the rain now, I wish there were a way we could know if it was about to rain. Like maybe a trumpet would blow 10 minutes before the rain would start."

"I really doubt if 10 minutes would have helped us. We are not exactly sprinters, to fly back to downtown from Rock Creek in such a short time."

They bantered on, their voice echoing through the cave and muffled by the sound of the rain. Then suddenly, a light emanated from the ground from deeper in the cave. It was a series of bright spurts of ray, like the ones that Lizzy had seen right before she got transported through time. The beam seemed to be coming out from a pit, at the mouth of the second cave, beaming upwards as though to call their attention. Elizabeth shrieked with shock. She was confused and for a moment, was mesmerized to stay in one spot. Lucy shook Elizabeth violently until she regained some senses.

"This light, will it take you home?"

Elizabeth could not speak. She shook her head and then nodded vigorously.

"Then, why do you hesitate? Go home! This is your chance. We know not how long it will be here. And what if Mr. Caveman came back and guarded against you entering?"

Elizabeth drew a deep breath. She turned to look at Lucy, with tears in her eyes. "Come with me, Lucy, I am petrified."

"I can't," Lucy replied, her face edged in wonder and worry. "My home is here and the people depend on me. And it is not right, for me to intentionally cross to the past. It is different for you. You have to go now or you will regret it."

"Thank you, for everything you have done for me. I will be a stronger person, for you!"

"Me too, Lizzy! I shall always remember our time together."

They embraced tightly. Then Elizabeth moved gingerly, to stand at the edge of the mouth of the pit. The lights seemed to swirl faster and the peace she had encountered the first time returned. Elizabeth turned to look one last time at Lucy who was crying steadily. Then she breathed deeply and stepped into the light and everything went white.

~o~

Darcy walked out of the Parliament toward his home. He had been invited by his uncle to attend young Lord Bryon's maiden speech at the House of Lords in opposition to the passing of the Frame Work Bill. The Bill made it a capital offence for workers to destroy various frames, machines, in factories. While Darcy did not own any factories, he had invested in the trade of fabric, pottery and other products. Darcy understood many factory owners' desire to introduce machines to replace workers, to accelerate production and increase profit. On the other hand, he sympathized with the workers who protested by destroying the frames to voice their anger with losing their livelihood.

"They have arisen from circumstances of the most unparalleled distress: the perseverance of these miserable men in their proceedings tends to prove that nothing but absolute want could have driven a large, and once honest and industrious, body of the people, into the commission of excesses so hazardous to themselves, their families, and the community.

Setting aside the palpable injustice and the certain inefficiency of the bill, are there not capital punishments sufficient in your statutes? Is there not blood enough upon your penal code, that more must be poured forth to ascend to Heaven and testify against you?

When a proposal is made to emancipate or relieve, you hesitate, you deliberate for years, you temporise and tamper with the minds of men; but a death-bill must be passed off-hand, without a thought of the consequences."

Darcy had heard of Byron's licentious escapades. He was surprised by the young lord's impassionate speech for the poor, even though it seemed to have fallen to deaf ears to other lords attending. England was at war and in a turbulent time, Darcy thought. It seemed inconsequential of him to think of himself at such a moment. For the past decades, Darcy cared for none beyond his own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with his own. Such he might still have been but for Elizabeth, a woman he had loved and lost. He should probably call off the search and accept that Elizabeth was dead. He should make use of his fortune to help the poor instead. Elizabeth would have wanted him to do that.

He reached home soon and went to his study immediately. As he picked up the pen and paper to write an express to Richard, the servant brought in one from the Colonel.

Darcy's hands shook as he tore open to read it. Then he dashed upstairs to change while barking out orders for the servants to pack and bidding Georgiana goodbye. He was heard cursing Colonel Fitzwilliam the whole way up the stairs.

~o~

When Elizabeth opened her eyes, she scanned the surrounding. It looked like the cave of Oakham Mount. Surely it had to be, for Lucy was no longer there. And it seemed brighter than the cave at Rock Creek. Her clothes and hair were still drenched from the rain. She felt drained as though the time device, whatever it was, had sucked out all her energy. After a few moments, she was able to stand up. Before she left the cave, she felt for a stone with sharp edges and scratched the words 'back in 1811, from 1892' on the base of the wall. She was not entirely sure if that was really the case but by writing it, she felt more confident suddenly. She also touched the draft diary in her pocket. Hopefully, it was not damaged by the rain or the time device. Elizabeth would dearly love to retain a faithful account of Lucy's time in her possession, instead of just relying on memory. Then gathering her energy, she followed the faint light and walked out of the cave, wondering how she could climb up from the bottom of the pit.

A few minutes later, when Elizabeth reached the end of the tunnel, the sunlight blinded her for a moment when she looked up from the bottom. The depth of the pit seemed to be taller than she remembered from three months ago. Could she have travelled somewhere else? The thought frightened her. She drew in a deep breath and pressed her hands against the wall to grasp for anything that could help her climb up and reach the world outside. The sense of despair grew as she completed exploring two sides of the wall and found herself slipping back down with every attempt to crawl up. But she almost leaped with joy when she found a rope ladder on the third wall. Why was there a ladder? She did not spend more time to wonder. As Lucy had said, there was one way to find out. After a few minutes of struggle on the swinging rope ladder, Elizabeth finally reached the ground. She laid there, panting and staring at the treetops, sky and cloud.

Where was she? What year was she in? Would Mr. Collins still be there? Elizabeth bolted up when she thought of the evil man. Elizabeth looked around and felt a bubble of joy emerging. She was back at Oakham Mount!

She walked towards home, as she did not have any money with her to flee to London. While she was thinking about how to hide near Longbourn and decide what to do before announcing herself to the family, she was startled by the sudden appearance of a man in a red coat. He was not any of the officers Elizabeth had met from Colonel Forster's regiment.

"Miss Elizabeth!" The man with moustache exclaimed.

Why did the soldier know her name? Was she wanted by authority, for killing Mr. Collins? Elizabeth picked up her skirt and sprinted for another direction.

But her legs were weak and the man was tall. He caught up with her in a second. "Please do not be alarmed, Madam. I, sort of, work for Mr. Darcy!"

Elizabeth stopped immediately and turned to stare at the man. "But you are a soldier. How can you work for Mr. Darcy?"

"I am Simon Tuttle, Madam. I'm Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam's batman. The Colonel is Mr. Darcy's cousin. When you went missing, Mr. Darcy has hired several teams of retired soldiers to search for you. I am tasked to supervise the team at Oakham Mount, as the Colonel is still on injury leave."

"Mr. Darcy did that for me?"

"Indeed. Now, may I take you back to Longbourn, discreetly? You are drenched and we would not want you to get ill because of that."

"Why did we need to do this stealthily?"

Tuttle then explained quickly about Mr. Collins's death, Sir William's initial suspicions on Mr. Bennet and the story the family put out when they found her missing.

~o~

At Longbourn, Kitty was trying to no success to knit a winter scarf. She was about to give up in frustration when she heard what seemed to be a commotion at the back of the house. Kitty decided to ignore it but to her annoyance, it continued. She stood up and dragged herself to the door, wearing a look of impatience on her face. When she reached the door of the servant quarters, she saw Elizabeth standing there, white as a ghost and drenched in rainwater, being attended to by an anxious-looking servant. She screamed and ran inside, leaving a perplexed Elizabeth at the door. Elizabeth sat on a chair, fearing that she might faint from exhaustion and feeling as though she had walked from one dream and into another. Mr. Tuttle had left after accompanying her to the back of the house. He needed to report back to the Colonel who was staying at Netherfield.

A minute later, a timid Kitty returned with Lydia and Mary. They all peeked out at Elizabeth, then they ran to her and embraced her, not minding her wet clothes. Elizabeth, too weak to even smile, sat there numbly, as they screamed questions at her. Mary helped her stand up and move toward the parlour, while Kitty called for a servant to go to Netherfield to inform their parents. Her parents were visiting Netherfield and were yet to return. As the servant left the room to fetch a coat, the rest of the Bennets walked in. Mrs. Bennet saw the girls huddled over Elizabeth in the corridor. She shrieked with joy and ran to embrace Elizabeth who was still very dazed. She kissed Elizabeth's cheeks, apologizing over and over until a teary-eyed Jane came and separated them. Mr. Bennet was frozen with shock and believing himself dreaming up the whole thing.

Elizabeth was taken to her room to change out of the wet clothes, before Mr. Bennet could say a word. She had fallen asleep immediately afterwards, vaguely aware of different members of her family coming to check on her every hour as if to keep her from escaping. When she woke the next morning, she saw Jane asleep beside her and shook her awake. Jane woke up and immediately hugged Elizabeth in a tight embrace.

"You cannot possibly understand how much I have missed you, Lizzy!"

"I missed you so much more, Jane. How did I manage so long without you?"

"Where did you go? We nearly died with worry."

"I am not completely sure myself. I might have been in a dream all along and only just woken up."

"Oh, do not strain your mind. You must be in such a fragile state. Let me fetch you breakfast. How hungry you must be?"

Before Elizabeth could protest, Jane rushed out of the room and Elizabeth was left alone. Mr. Bennet walked in a minute after and sat beside his daughter, staring at her wordlessly for a long moment.

"I am so sorry Lizzy...," Elizabeth threw her arms around him, cutting him short and they hugged. Mrs. Bennet walked in and joined them and soon it was the whole family in the room. They were happy once more and more importantly, they were a complete family.

"Papa," Elizabeth said, when there was a moment of quietness. "What date is today?"


	12. So many villains

A.N. Thank you, Gabyhyatt, GemmaDarcy, Iiysyl, Nanciellen, Colleen S, Happy Lizzy, Beatriz and Guest, for commenting. I really appreciate that. It's great to have Lizzy back to the past with Darcy. But I don't think she will be talking about her experience soon. I leave you some new development in this latest chapter. Happy reading and remember to give me some encouragement by leaving your reviews. Thank you, Enid.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"Can you eat faster?" Darcy told Colonel Fitzwilliam impatiently. They were closeted at Netherfield library while Bingley dealt with the aftermath of his sister's unexpected arrival last evening, hot on the heels of Darcy.

"It is still early, Miss Elizabeth would not have woken up yet! This bread is heavenly, salute to Mrs. Bingley and her cook!"

"I do not want to delay a moment longer."

"Or are you avoiding your avid supporter Miss Bingley? How did she know you came back to Hertfordshire? Did she still have a male servant spying on Darcy House? I thought Bingley and Hurst have forbidden her from using the footman that way the first few weeks after your return to London."

"Georgiana thinks that Miss Bingley is sending the maids from Grosvenor Place to Mayfair on all sorts of errands every day. She vowed some familiar faces are loitering near our house. Hurst can hardly ban Miss Bingley from ordering the maids around as that is Mrs. Hurst's domain."

"And Mrs. Hurst is a simpleton to support her sister."

"If I have to sit and wait for you to finish eating, I would much rather talk about Miss Elizabeth's discovery than Miss Bingley's obsessive behaviour. Our discussion last night was interrupted by Miss Bingley's arrival."

"As I mentioned, Tuttle has been bored out of his skull since I started taking the War Office assignments due to my injury. He has been talking about resigning from the army and moving to America to find some exciting opportunities there. So far, I have been able to keep him from jumping onto a ship by sending him out on Oakham Mount to supervise the workers daily. He would go round the pits clockwise every day, six days a week, to no fail. Yesterday, he discovered Miss Elizabeth suddenly, walking out behind a tree in a daze, near the eleven o'clock pit."

"She was not injured? Your express was damnably short! Come back, Miss E is here."

Richard shook his head. "We don't want Miss Bingley or any of your enemy to intercept any important detail. No, Miss Elizabeth was not injured, as far as Tuttle could see. She even tried to sprint away from him."

"Why?"

"Perhaps she thought Tuttle was Collins. But Tuttle recognized her almost immediately from the likeness Mr. Bennet has provided for the search teams. He promptly shouted out to her that he works for you."

"I am not sure Elizabeth will believe that."

"Exactly. Your Elizabeth is one smart lady. But she did stop running and asked about why a soldier would be working for a wealthy chap like you. Tuttle told her a few facts and took her back to Longbourn."

"He is certain that she is unharmed? What did she say?"

"She was soaked, like she had stood in the pouring rain for some hours, but of course we didn't have any rain for nearly a month. She had mud on her person and hands and boots, as if she has been crawling on the ground. Her clothes, though, were…"

Darcy frowned. "What about them?"

"Tuttle is no fashion man but he said he has never seen anything like it. He said your Elizabeth was dressed in man's shirt with buttons on the front and a skirt with a bell-like structure under it. She looked like an overdressed scarecrow for an autumn festival dance. He took care to take her back to Longbourn, avoiding any area where workers could see her."

"Did she say anything of where she has been to in the past three months?"

"Not to Tuttle. But he went back to eleven o'clock pit. He thinks she might have just emerged from there."

Darcy's mouth gaped open. "How could that be possible? I thought all the pits were scoured thoroughly."

"Tuttle found a torn piece of Miss Elizabeth's strange costume on the bottom of the rope ladder that the search team had left there."

"He found evidence of her living there? But how could the search team missed her then?"

"No," Richard replied. "Tuttle examined the caves and tunnels for nearly an hour, walking along several different directions. But he did not see any evidence of Miss Elizabeth or anyone living there. The torn cloth near the rope ladder and the mud on her person were the only pieces of the puzzle that led Tuttle to conclude that she emerged from that pit. He has no idea where she has been to in the past three months."

"And she did not tell Tuttle where she has been to?"

"No, she had more questions than answers."

~0~

"Why, it is the 28th of February!" Mrs. Bennet replied to Elizabeth's question about today's date.

"28th of February, 18…"

"1812, of course! You have been away for three months, in Ireland," Mrs. Bennet continued. "Did you have a carriage accident? You dressed in a very strange dress, all drenched and mud yesterday. Did the Gardiners not send you back with their manservant? I must send a letter to Edward, complaining about how you have been treated. Have you hurt your head? Mr. Bennet, we must get Mr. Jones here. Lizzy is injured and confused."

"Calm down, my dear," Mr. Bennet squeezed his wife's hand. "I heard from the Colonel that Mr. Darcy will be coming for a visit and he will be bringing a physician from town."

"Oh, bless Richard! Mary, you are such a lucky girl. Oh, that wonderful Mr. Darcy! He has been a staunch supporter of our family, when that dreadful Sir William suspected your dear Papa for murdering that evil Collins! I have not invited the Lucas, including your so-called best friend Charlotte, to Longbourn ever since!"

Elizabeth darted a glance at Mary. Her sister was blushing deeply. Elizabeth was soon updated on all that had taken place since she left. Mr. Bingley had returned and married Jane, this news, in particular, brought much joy to Elizabeth who wanted nothing more than to see Jane happy. She also heard about Mr. Collins' death and his crime in Kent again but kept quiet about her part in it, not wanting to bring up such a dark topic at such a time. Colonel Fitzwilliam was quite taken with Mary. Still, Mr. Bennet insisted that they did not enter into a betrothed until Mary turned one and twenty.

After Mrs. Bennet and the younger girls were herded out of the room by Jane, Mr. Bennet told Elizabeth other detail. He told her how a story was invented and fed to Mrs. Bennet about Elizabeth's travel to London and Ireland. How Miss Bingley had been following Mr. Darcy in Hertfordshire and then back to town. The news that had the most profound effect on Elizabeth was that of Darcy's involvement in the whole thing and how he had saved her father from suspicions and protected her name. He even purchased Oakham Mount to search for her, after hearing from the Fishers that she might have fallen down a pit. She felt deep regret as to how she had treated Mr. Darcy in the past and longed for an opportunity to make it up somehow, this opportunity came almost immediately.

Mr. Darcy arrived at Longbourn with the Colonel and his physician Dr. Lane. He waited patiently for Elizabeth to be examined. After Dr. Lane declared that she was in good health, Darcy heard Elizabeth descend the stairs. He stood up in anticipation. Seeing her had a stronger effect on him than he had imagined. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, slightly tan. Her manner displayed a new strength and she walked with more boldness. It seemed she had grown since he had last seen her and his heart swam in his chest.

"Miss Elizabeth, I am glad that you have returned," He bowed and they moved to near the windows in the parlour. The rest of the family allowed them some privacy. Darcy's voice shook, betraying his affection and his cheeks flushed red.

"It is good to be back. It has been three months," Elizabeth said. "I hope the time has been adequate for you to forgive my foolishness. I have treated you unfairly and you have repaid me with kindness."

"No, I deserved all that you said and more. I was the foulest creature and your reproof caused me to change. You made me realize how vain my pride was and I am grateful for that. All that I did was in hopes of attaining a state of redemption I do not deserve."

"You are too hard on yourself, Mr. Darcy. Your pride and my prejudice were equally faulty and led to me believing a testimony that had yet to be proven."

Darcy took a tentative step forward, watching to see if Elizabeth would do the same. She did and they met and touched each other's hands affectionately.

"It is confusing how strongly I feel connected to you. It is as though a well I never knew was in my heart, was suddenly filled up with affection for you," Elizabeth murmured.

"I have feared for your safety and almost given up hope," Darcy whispered. "I missed you dreadfully in the time you have been away."

Before Elizabeth could respond, an apologetic Bingley and a pinched-face Miss Bingley were announced and shown into the parlour.

"Why, if that is not the absent traveler!" Miss Bingley exclaimed with false delight and moved to stand near Darcy. "How happy your family must be, of seeing you, Miss Eliza, after three long months. Did you disappear into the wilderness?"

Darcy, the Colonel and Mr. Bennet exchanged a look of alarm, about Miss Bingley's words. Elizabeth stepped away from Darcy and moved to stand with her father. "I am…delighted to see you again, Miss Caro. I am sure you have heard from your brother that I have been away in Ireland. I heard you have been quite busy yourself…stalking someone, almost daily."

Richard's chuckle only turned to cough when Darcy moved away from a red-face Miss Bingley to stand beside his cousin and elbowed him to silence.

"Mr. Darcy," Miss Bingley ignored Elizabeth's sarcasm. She turned to her prey. "we have received advance notice from your Aunt just now. That is why we hurried here immediately. Lady Catherine de Bourgh has gone to London. On finding that you are in my brother's estate, she is seeking our permission to stay at Netherfield. She is coming with Miss de Bourgh for the duration of your visit. And there is an express for you too, Colonel Fitzwilliam."

"Caroline!" Bingley glared at his sister. "Jane is the Mistress of Netherfield. I am about to tell her about Lady Catherine's notice. She will decide if Her Ladyship can stay with us."

Jane nodded her head. Despite Darcy and Richard's frustrated expression, she could not turn Her Ladyship away. Jane went to change and announced that she was returning home. It occurred to Elizabeth that Jane now lived at Netherfield with her husband. She marveled at how much had changed since she'd time-travelled. Darcy announced that he would also be heading to Netherfield. He looked at Elizabeth longingly when he departed, while Miss Bingley smirked triumphantly.

Elizabeth, seeking company, went up to Kitty's room. She met Kitty and Lydia engrossed in a conversation that was about nothing other than Meryton's eligible bachelors, as Mr. Bennet had given them a day leave from their learning. The conversation moved on to Elizabeth's time in Ireland and Elizabeth weaved stories seemingly out of thin air and held the girls enraptured in the delicious intricacies of her made-up story. "It pleases me to see that you are both still so lively but less prompt to fancy."

Kitty smiled at her sister and said, "We are now even more spirited than before. In your absence, it was left to us to entertain the family. But we are learning some good principles. Still, studying is quite exhausting."

"It was either us or Mary and we all know how sober she is, even in front of her admirer! Can you imagine, Mary and a redcoat?" added Lydia. They all laughed.

"How have you been?" Mary asked Elizabeth.

"Indeed, you are yet to tell us about your adventures. We are all dying to hear all about it." Kitty chimed in.

"It is not something I understand fully myself..."

"Oh, don't be such a bore, Lizzy, do tell us all about it. Did you perhaps meet with a man? What was it like? Is he handsome? Although Mr. Darcy will turn glum and morose if you do. He has been pining for you for months. Do you love this Irish lad? Do tell me."

"You run astray with your imagination," Lizzy said, laughing.

"So, there was no man?" Lydia persisted.

"I did dance with many men, a special type of dance that is more vigorous than a jig."

"How did you dance it? I'd dearly love to learn!" Lydia exclaimed.

"Is it something you can do at a ball?"

"No, Kitty, this type of dance is for less formal events and places, like taverns and roadsides."

"Taverns and roadsides? Why were you dancing in such places? That is very unladylike." Kitty cried out.

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not, I shall like to enter a tavern someday and get drunk on rum and dance till dawn," Lydia said, with closed eyes and dreamy face.

"I would advise against that, you are far too young. Besides, I went under the supervision of a grown-up."

"Oh, we mustn't," Mary interjected, "It will damage our reputation and reduce our chances of getting respectable husbands."

"Thus increasing our chances of marrying someone who loves us for who we are," Elizabeth argued hypothetically. But she would not ruin her reputation in England by dancing in questionable places.

"Isn't marrying into wealth the ideal thing?" Lydia said. "Mama used to say so, though she has changed a lot lately."

"Whose ideal is it? Yours or society's? Lydia, I know you and Kitty want more than money... Both of you are the type to fall heads over heels for a person so long as he makes you happy. Should it matter if he doesn't have an estate of ten thousand a year? I think as long as the man is honest, hard-working and can provide a decent home, fortune is largely exaggerated."

"You seem even more outspoken than before," Mary commented. "When did you begin expressing such ideas openly?"

"I had a lot of time to think about these things and discuss them. It gave me a lot to brood on."

"But do you think Jane would have gotten Mr. Bingley if she had danced at taverns and gotten merry with rum?" Kitty said.

A shadow crossed Elizabeth's face, when she thought about Jane and her parents pressured her to marry Mr. Collins. But she told herself to shake it off. They apologized and seemed to have changed. "My dear Jane would have attracted Mr. Bingley if she was from the least favoured family in England. What Jane and Charles have, that is true love."

~0~

The next day, a guest whom Elizabeth had no desire to see paid a visit to Longbourn. It was not Mr. Darcy but none other than Mr. Wickham, who had not long before attempted to smear Darcy's name. During the previous months, Wickham applied to do errands in Brighton when he discovered Colonel Fitzwilliam's presence in Hertfordshire. He was called back to Meryton yesterday and heard of a rumour about Darcy fancying Elizabeth. He decided to investigate and to see if he could profit from it. Luck was on his side as the fearsome Colonel was called away to London about an hour before Wickham stepped foot in Meryton. Today, Wickham's luck continued. Mr. Bennet was away from home, meeting Mr. Phillips.

Mrs. Bennet, not warned by her husband about Wickham's character, received him warmly, excited as previous that an eligible bachelor was in their household. She ran around, making sure Wickham was comfortable and oversaw the preparation of an excellent luncheon. Mr. Wickham was pleased by all this, he would occasionally catch Kitty and Lydia staring at him and whispering to each other. Being the manipulative person he was, Wickham prodded them on with wink or some other flirtatious gesture. Elizabeth did not fall for his charm and made sure to let him know it.

"What brings you to Longbourn?" It was more of a challenge than a friendly question.

"What man can resist visiting a house filled with such beautiful women."

"I dare say the fairest of us has been taken, I suppose it was Jane you always had eyes for?"

"Mrs. Bingley is indeed a most beautiful creature, but even she pales before you. Miss Elizabeth, you are like a slice of heaven, made especially for me."

"Stop! I do not have to sit here and listen to your rakish words."

"Why are you so abrupt with me now? We used to get on charmingly. I am only paying you a compliment. Why do you antagonize me so? I suppose that evil Darcy has told you many terrible things about me, during my absence."

"Funny how you blame everything on Mr. Darcy. You make it your business to ruin his name everywhere you go. I am no longer going to believe your story."

"Do you accuse me of lying? Have I done anything to warrant such an accusation?"

"You are a man of many double standards. One day you say you owe Mr. Darcy's father your life and would never speak ill of his family and the next moment, you use words like the 'Evil Darcy'. That alone is proof enough that you are not to be trusted."

"I see that Darcy has won you over with his trickery. It is fine since you will soon realize how mistaken you are. I will be vindicated."

Elizabeth walked away directly. She went up to her room, when Mrs. Bennet returned to the parlour, calling on her sisters to join her. Mary and Kitty assembled in her room, looking at her expectantly. Still, Lydia refused to move from the charming company of Mr. Wickham. She stayed with a confused Mrs. Bennet.

"Mr. Wickham, what do you all think of him?" Elizabeth asked this in a solemn tone, to Kitty and Mary.

"He is such a frightfully beautiful man, and so agreeable. He also speaks very well. I think he is amazing," said Kitty.

"Well, he is undeniably handsome and quite flattering as well. He knows how to make you feel good around him," said Mary. "I heard from Richard that Mr. Wickham was not to be trusted."

"I agree with the Colonel," Elizabeth said. "Mr. Wickham is a manipulative, sweet mouthed man who is willing to play dirty to get his way. He cares little for others and so much for himself. He is a dangerous man and you and Lydia must avoid falling for him."

"I guessed as much," added Mary.

"I cannot believe it, Mr. Wickham is the most polite and kind gentleman I have ever known." Kitty protested.

"You are still young, Kitty, you have not known many men. This one, in particular, is very dangerous, especially for romantics like yourself."

While the three sisters were talking upstairs, Mr. Wickham had wandered about the house curiously, after Mrs. Bennet and Lydia were called away to the servant quarter. He was spying in the garden until he came to the window of Mr. Bennet's study. Overhearing conversation, Wickham moved as close to the window as he could and eavesdropped. Mr. Bennet was in the heat of conversation with his wife and they spoke in hushed but audible tones. Mr. Wickham put his ear by the windows and listened very closely to what was being said.

"Is it not beautiful how Mr. Wickham has taken an interest in our daughters? I should hope that before the month runs out, he will come to us with the mind to marry one of them. Hopefully, it will be Lydia, I shall like to see her married and happily settled," said Mrs. Bennet.

"Wickham is no gentleman and Lydia is too young to marry. This business of marriage is something we should leave to our children to handle."

"Oh but they need an experienced hand to guide them, I will not pressure any of them, now that Jane has married well and that hateful Collins has died. My mind is at ease. But a nudge in the right direction will not hurt any of them."

"Do as you will but I forbid you to invite this Wickham fellow to our home again. You know he used to telltale about Mr. Darcy. All rubbish. After what Mr. Darcy has done to help us, regarding Collins' murder, that is the least we can do, to bar this Wickham from Longbourn."

"Yes, you are right, Mr. Bennet. And Mr. Darcy is very sweet with our Lizzy, judging from their meeting yesterday. I believed Miss Bingley had fire in her eyes when she saw Lizzy and Mr. Darcy talking privately by the windows. But I cannot understand how Lizzy could have appeared in the servant quarter suddenly, soaked in the rain, wearing these bizarre clothes and smeared with mud. I thought for a second that she did not go to Ireland but hid in Drury Lane!"

"Your mind runs wild, Fanny! Elizabeth visited Gardiner's friend in Ireland for three months. That was it."

"If you said so. Do you suppose Lizzy will marry Mr. Darcy? He is very much in love with her and so very rich."

"I do not know if she reciprocates that love, but she does respect him deeply."

"I am worried that Mr. Darcy may fall prey to Miss Bingley. And now Miss de Bourgh also comes to visit him. What if he forgets all about Lizzy?"

"Mr. Darcy doesn't like Miss Bingley at all."

"And you know this how?"

"I spend a good deal of time with Mr. Darcy. I am quite certain that my observations are correct."

Wickham had heard quite enough. He left the window and began making his way back to the house, his heart beating excitedly. How fortunate Wickham was to have learned about these things. He thought of how he might use this information to his benefit. Darcy Boy helped Mr. Bennet covered up Collins's murder because he was infuriated with the sumptuous Elizabeth! Who in the Bennet family killed the buffoon clergyman?

He remembered his stop at Sir William earlier today. He knew Lady Lucas was gossip and intended to learn more about all that had past in Meryton for the past months before he would pay the Bennets a visit. He found Sir William home instead. The babbling man was mumbling about his investigation of Collins's death. Meryton magistrate seemed to believe Mr. Bennet had killed the man and Darcy covered for him. Sir William told Wickham that his meticulous investigation of the murder was not hailed by the neighbourhood after Collins's hideous crime in Kent was heard. The magistrate seemed rather angry with Darcy and Bennet.

Wickham then met Miss Lucas on his way to Longbourn. Miss Lucas told him about Collins's proposal to Miss Elizabeth, her rejection of the man and her parents demanding her to accept Collins instead. Wickham believed that it made more sense for Elizabeth to have killed Mr. Collins. She must be forcefully betrothed to the monster by her parents. Darcy then hid Elizabeth in London, perhaps as his plaything. But that did not explain the strange appearance of Elizabeth the day before. Nevertheless, Wickham concluded that he had come across a gold mine and would make the most bountiful use of it.


	13. Mr Darcy must be rescued!

_A.N. Dear lovely readers, I'm back after a short holiday break. I wish all of you a wonderful 2020! Stay healthy and happy. To our Australian friends, stay safe from the bushfire. Thank you, LoveInTheBattleField, GemmaDarcy, Happy Lizzy, Kiwipride, gabyhyatt, for commenting. Love your feedback! The villains are out in full force in this chapter. Happy reading!_

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**Chapter 13**

Elizabeth, who had just left Mary and Kitty to go outside for some fresh air, found Wickham walking in the garden. He promptly called Elizabeth and told her his speculation that she had killed Collins. "Now, how are we to make the most of this information?"

"What do you want?" Elizabeth gritted out the question, trembling with fear and anger, now that her worst secret was out, but in the hands of a crooked man.

"I will keep it a secret. But at a price."

"You know we are not wealthy."

"It has been brought to my notice that you and Mr. Darcy are something of an item."

"You have been misinformed. We are merely friends."

"Deny it all you want, I know it is true. Darcy Boy must be infatuated with you. I want to use this to my advantage."

"And how do you hope to do that?" Elizabeth asked, her fists tightened.

"Quite simply, you will make Darcy Boy marry you immediately. That way you will have access to his money and I can have it through you," He stepped forward and raised his hand, wanting to touch Elizabeth's face. "Then you and I can get deeply acquainted. Doesn't that sound like a swell plan, my dear Lizzy?" Elizabeth swatted it away.

"Fire, fire!" Wickham laughed. "I bet that is what Darcy Boy likes about you."

"It is an evil plan and I shall have no part in it. You foul, depraved creature!" despite her loud protests, Elizabeth realized that she would become Wickham's plaything and her heart sank.

"How disappointing, I guess you and your Father shall have to go to jail. And the funny thing is Darcy Boy, who made you his plaything will also go to jail. He did conspire to cover up evidence, did he not? Obstruction of justice." Wickham speculated.

"What plaything?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Do not deny it. Your mother said Darcy Boy hid you in Covent Garden for the past three months. Did he not put his seeds in you and make your belly big with a babe yet? I know Darcy Boy is a useless man. No worries, after he and you tie the knot, I can make you feel like a real woman and have you with a child in no time. Imagine, a Wickham boy as the heir to Pemberley? But in the meantime, you continue to open your legs and wrap around Darcy Boy's tiny private member tight. Do not let him slip away!" He laughed.

"You are a pervert and a monster!" Elizabeth growled. Despite Wickham's vulgarity, Elizabeth was glad that she learned about his misinformation about Mr. Darcy and herself. She was thinking of how to reject Wickham's demand base on this.

"Call me whatever you will. Your words do not move me. I give you two days to bring Darcy Boy to the point, or the world will know you stabbed the pathetic clergyman to death."

Elizabeth startled from her thoughts. "Stabbed?"

Wickham shook his head. "Do not dream of doing the same to me. I have learned to fence since I was a young boy. The funny thing was, I am never as good as Richard and Darcy. But I am sure I can disarm your dagger with one hand tied behind my back. You may leave now."

Elizabeth frowned at Wickham's misreport. She dashed inside the house, to think about it.

Meanwhile, Wickham decided to pay Mr. Bennet a visit. When the Master of Longbourn called him into his study, Wickham entered and smiled in a sinister way that made Mr. Bennet uneasy. Mr. Bennet stood and did not offer the visitor a seat.

"Mr. Bennet, there is something I must ask you."

"You are not welcome in Longbourn. I must ask you to leave, immediately."

Wickham shook his head and broadened his smile into a grin. "Thank you for your warm welcome...but how does it feel to have a murderer for a daughter."

Mr. Bennet went white in the face and stared at Wickham. "How... how did you hear about that?"

"I worked it out from your own mouth. You should do well not to discuss private matters when you have a visitor in your house. Anyway, it's too late to correct that mistake."

"What do you want?"

"You are a clever man, I heard. You must have heard how Darcy cheated me out of my inheritance, so I must make money however I can. Do not judge me, simply follow my instructions. In two weeks, you will have prepared for me a sum of two hundred pounds. After this, you can be sure that your secret is safe."

"How am I to get two hundred pounds?"

"I am sure the Gardiners will help you. The Lucas told me Mrs. Bennet's brother hired two women to teach your precious daughters music, singing, drawing, dancing and household management."

Mr. Bennet breathed a sigh of relief. Wickham did not know the truth behind the arrangement. "What has that to do with anything. Gardiner has a family to feed, servants to take care of and a business to maintain. You are unfair."

"Do you not realize how much power I can exert over you now? I ask for a meagre sum like two hundred pounds and you have the boldness to call me unfair?" His face was red with anger and Mr. Bennet stepped back in fright.

"Alright then, but you must give me more time. Two weeks is not enough."

Wickham stepped forward, so his face was right in front of Mr. Bennet's. "It will have to be enough."

Elizabeth, who had closed herself in her room to unravel all the misinformation Wickham had given her, came down as Mr. Bennet was showing Wickham out of the house. From the look on her Father's face, she could tell that he had been blackmailed. Mr. Bennet allowed Elizabeth into his study. Before Elizabeth could say anything, he said, "Let me get Mary too. She knows a lot more about the whole affair and I sometimes talk to her about it.

He had a sad look on his face and if one looked closer, there was a touch of anger. When Mary arrived, he said, "I am sure you both know by now that Mr. Wickham is not the saint Meryton people once thought him to be."

"Yes, indeed, father," said Elizabeth with an angry tone, "He is quite a scoundrel."

"Yes, he is, and an opportunist. Unfortunately, we have fallen right into his trap. The safety of this family lies in the hands of a madman."

"He didn't threaten you, did he, Father?" Mary asked, worried.

"He did quite more than threaten me, my dear. He blackmailed me and did it with a smile on his face. The effrontery!"

"It is my fault," Elizabeth said sadly.

"I will take the blame, Lizzy, I am your Father and it is my job to protect this household. A job I have continuously failed at. Your mother and I also fell for Wickham's charm and made him feel at home in the past, even welcoming him to our table, for dinner and wine."

"We cannot keep passing the blame around and feeling sorry for ourselves," Mary said.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded her head. "A solution needs to be found quickly."

"There already is a solution, I will pay Wickham the two hundred pounds he requested and he will leave us alone. That seems simple enough."

"That is a terrible idea," Elizabeth said. "Wickham will only keep coming back for more. He is clearly greedy and very manipulative. A man with a broken moral compass and no conscience should not, in any way, be trusted. And he has got everything wrong. He said I stabbed Mr. Collins to death. But I did not have a knife or a dagger on me that day as he had suggested."

"What?" Mr. Bennet and Mary exclaimed.

"But Mr. Darcy found your garnet cross underneath Collins's body. We thought…" Mr. Bennet said.

Elizabeth shook her head and told her Father and Mary how she had struggled with Mr. Collins and hit him unconscious with a rock.

"Then who killed Mr. Collins?" Mary murmured.

"I do not know but I intend to find out," Elizabeth said. "The best thing to deal with Mr. Wickham right now is to hold off on the payment till a proper solution is found."

"And how do we find a proper solution?" asked Mary.

"Well, I did not kill Mr. Collins. Perhaps I just have to tell Sir William everything and clear my name. Then Wickham cannot blackmail Father with this."

"William Lucas is not on our side," Mr. Bennet said. "Mr. Darcy took your garnet cross from the crime scene. We hid away a piece of evidence. Then you ran away for three months. Sir William will assume the worst and have all of us arrested. And where have you been to these past months?"

Elizabeth bit her lip. "I cannot tell you right now but I was safe and now back home. We must not let another evil man tear our family apart."

"Why not tell us? That is near impossible to prove your innocence. Why do you need to add to the challenge with secrecy?" cried Mr. Bennet.

"Please calm down, Father. Lizzy must have her reason not to tell us. But if we can prove that she did not kill Mr. Collins, then Wickham can no longer blackmail us." Mary said.

"Attempting to prove anything creates the risk of the case being revived and that's the last thing we want," Mr. Bennet said. "Besides, if anything could have been done, it should have been done months ago. All the evidence would have disappeared by now."

"But is that not a good thing? If there is no evidence, then Wickham really has nothing to threaten us with, perhaps we are allowing ourselves to be frightened over nothing."

"Mary, the problem with that line of thought is if a witness steps forward, especially with firsthand information about the suspects, then the case can be revived. Plus, Lizzy's involvement would make for a good case against us. Her refusal of Collins's proposal and her hiding away for three months, all of which Mr. Wickham is likely aware of, will provide a strong motive for the murder. He has talked to the Lucases."

"We are truly at a dead-end regarding Mr. Wickham, aren't we?" Mary murmured.

"All the evidence is in possession by the magistrate." Mr. Bennet said.

"Has the knife been found?" Elizabeth asked.

"No."

"Perhaps a visit to the site of the murder might be appropriate?" Elizabeth murmured.

"I cannot support such an endeavor. It will only complicate things and if any of you are caught near that place, it will only bring rise to unnecessary suspicions. I forbid you to go near Oakham Mount. Anyway, Mr. Darcy's men had scouted the area extensively when they searched for you."

"How then are we to solve our problems?"

"I will rather pay thousand of pounds than put any of you in further harm."

Elizabeth replied, "That is what that monster Wickham wants. If we don't do something permanent, he will haunt us until he sucks us dry and we have nothing else left."

Mary suddenly had an idea, "Have you considered asking Mr. Darcy for help? He knows Wickham better than all of us and would know how to stop him."

"No!" Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth exclaimed at the same time, stunning Mary.

Mr. Bennet composed himself, "We shall not give Mr. Darcy any more trouble. He has helped us tremendously and given us much to be thankful for. Let us leave him out of this."

"I agree," said Elizabeth, echoing her Father's sentiments, "Mr. Darcy put himself at risk for us and in my opinion, has done more than enough."

"Then how do you propose we handle this problem?"

Mr. Bennet sank into his chair dejectedly, "I do not know. But just make sure your mother doesn't hear any of this, for once she has nothing to be anxious about and what she does not know has no way of hurting her."

"True, I worry about mother. She must not hear about any of this." Elizabeth agreed.

Mary nodded her head.

"You must not tell Lydia and Kitty either. They are learning but they cannot be trusted with secrets, particularly one of this magnitude," warned Mr. Bennet.

Elizabeth and Mary agreed.

Mary suggested again. "I still believe the best option is to involve Mr. Darcy, but since you both insist we shouldn't, then our next best option is to prove Lizzy's innocence."

"Wickham is several steps ahead of us. I need some time to think. You girls should go and think over this. We will discuss this again at a later time."

~0~

Back at Netherfield, while Mr. Darcy was anxious to visit Elizabeth again, he had another matter to deal with. He and Lady Catherine were taking a walk in the wilderness at the back of the house.

"Why did you have to drag Anne all over the country when she is heavy with child? Did you not worry about her reputation? Why are you here, Aunt?"

"Nonsense. Anne is covered up from head to toe. No one will know. And you know why I am here."

"I have not been at all able to account for the honour of seeing you here."

"You can be at no loss, Darcy, to understand the reason of my journey hither. Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why I come."

Darcy shook his head and Her Ladyship continued, "You are engaged to Anne. I demand that you marry her at once!"

Darcy looked at her Aunt with astonishment. "Anne is pregnant with another's man baby and you dare to come here and demand me to marry her?"

"From Anne and your infancy, you have been intended for each other. It was the favourite wish of your mother, as well as of mine. While in your cradles, we planned the union. And now, at the moment when the wishes of both sisters would be accomplished in your marriage, to be prevented by a man of distorted mind, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family! Do you pay no regard to my wishes? To this tacit engagement with Anne? Are you lost to every feeling of delicacy and compassion? Have you not heard me say that from the earliest hours Anne was destined for you, not that vile Collins?"

"Yes, and I had heard it before. But what is that to me? While I feel for Anne's plight, I am neither by honour nor inclination to marry Anne."

"Because honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, demand it. Yes, Darcy, interest; for you shall be noticed by all, for marrying Anne, uniting Rosings with Pemberley. If you willfully act against the inclinations of your Uncle, your friends and me, you will be censured and slighted."

Darcy laughed. "You a woman with grandiose delusion, Aunt. If you think you can force me to marry someone I do not love and take another man's baby as my own, you are insane!"

"Obstinate, headstrong boy! I am ashamed of you! Is this your gratitude for my attention to you in the past years?"

"I am not to be intimidated into anything so wholly unreasonable."

"Unfeeling, selfish boy!"

"You have said quite enough, Aunt. I bid you a good day." Darcy bowed and left.

About fifteen feet away, hiding behind a bush, Miss Bingley was busy swatting the bugs away from her best day dress. She was trying to overhear what her prey and his Aunt were talking about. The only words she could make out of were "engaged", "pregnant", "another man's baby", "marry", "vile", "interest", "delusion" and "intimidated". She connected the words together with her imagination and thought that Lady Catherine had come to warn Mr. Darcy. That vile and delusional Eliza Bennet was pregnant with another man's baby. Miss Eliza was threatening Mr. Darcy to marry her.

Mr. Darcy must be rescued!

~0~

After leaving his Aunt, Mr. Darcy left Netherfield for a walk, unknowingly walking towards the direction of Longbourn. He was ecstatic to see Miss Elizabeth about three-quarters of an hour later.

"It has been a while since we last saw you, Mr. Darcy."

"Ay, it has, Miss Elizabeth."

"I hope things have been going smoothly at Netherfield? How is Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh?"

"Things have been…well," Darcy had no inclination to talk about his crazy relative. "How about yourself? Everything alright with you?"

"Perfect," she lied.

"That's good to hear."

They stood for a moment awkwardly, neither one knowing what to say to the other. Elizabeth thought of Lucy for a moment and gathered her courage.

"Say, Mr. Darcy, while I was away. You were helping my Father with the whole murder crisis, weren't you?"

"That is correct."

"Tell me then. Were you able to come up with an idea of who the culprit was?"

"There was only an evidence of the murder, nothing of the murderer was left to observe." He replied, thinking she was asking about the garnet cross. 'Funny,' he thought, 'wouldn't her father have told her that we destroyed it?'

"Why do you ask?"

"I did not kill Mr. Collins by stabbing him. I only knocked the monster out cold with a rock."

Darcy was elated. A heavy burden had lifted off his shoulders.

"It is quite touching how you helped my father and me despite my treatment of you."

"My actions mean nothing. They pale when compared with how arrogantly I treated you in the past."

"All that is forgotten, Mr. Darcy. But I still do not know what really transpired between you and Mr. Wickham, even though I know the man was not to be trusted."

"My history with Mr. Wickham, that is a story for another day. For now, I only want to talk about you." Darcy stared at her with an intensity that was as hot as the summer sun.

Elizabeth blushed and waited nervously for him to continue.

"Are you truly well, Miss Elizabeth? In the past three months and now?"

"Well, it was all very confusing at first, with me hearing all that had happened and missing Jane's wedding, but it's all better now."

"That's great, where did you go though? If I may ask."

"You may, but then that's a story for another time," she borrowed Mr. Darcy's words to stall his questions.

Mr. Darcy took hold of her hand and smiled broadly. "I guess our next conversation would be quite delightful."

"I look forward to it," she said breathlessly, dazzled by Mr. Darcy's handsome face and his adorable dimples.

Mr. Darcy stepped forward, lowered his head, while Elizabeth raised her head. Their lips almost touched when they were interrupted by the sound of applause.

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A.N. Please remember to review. Also, I've published **Outwitting Mr. Darcy** and Elizabeth, the Merry Widow (now called **The Truth about the Merry Widow**), in ebook and paperback formats. They have been professionally edited. You can purchase them from Amazon, Apple Books, B&N and so on. Do give me a good rating if you like my stories. Thank you!


	14. Damn the consequences

_A.N. Thank you, gabyhyatt, Joan, Liysyl, sacredwoman, Happy Lizzy and guest for reviewing. I really appreciate it. Now, all lovely readers, here is a new chapter, written when I was not feeling too well. It's not the best effort but I hope you still find it interesting. Happy reading and do remember to review. Writers need your encouragement!_

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**Chapter 14**

"Fitzwilliam, what a pleasant surprise," Anne said. "Sorry to interrupt your tender moment. Do introduce me to your lady friend."

Darcy frowned but complied with her request. He added, "What are you doing here, Anne? And all by yourself."

"Walking, as you see, to Oakham Mount."

"But that is a long way for here, especially for someone in your condition. Let me take you back to Netherfield."

"What condition?" Anne retorted with her voice hiked up. Then she lowered the hook of her long coat and pushed the front lapels opened to reveal her protruded abdomen. "I am with child, by Mr. Collins, my husband! Richard is wrong to say that my marriage was in my imagination. Mama is wrong, to ask me to hide my child! I am going to walk to Oakham Mount to see where my lovely husband was killed. I want to feel him once again."

Darcy scowled, not attempting to hide his displeasure. "Even if you and Mr. Collins were really married, you should not acknowledge him. He was a monster who had tortured and killed several women."

"I do not believe a word that lowly Daisy Mitford has said," Anne shouted. "William's murderer must be the one who had killed the women and abused that wild child. The killer forced my husband to let him use the parsonage and for some reasons, he followed him to Hertfordshire and killed William. Oh, my poor William!"

Elizabeth gasped on hearing Anne's belief that Collins was a good man. She wanted to tell Anne her own experience, being attack by Collins. But she could not do so without Anne thinking that Elizabeth had a hand in the pastor's death. Elizabeth touched Darcy's arm.

"Miss de Bourgh, Oakham Mount is a few miles away. You may not be able to reach it and return by the time sunset. It may be wise to attempt it tomorrow, partway by a carriage. I am sure Mr. Darcy will be willing to take you there."

Anne drew in a deep breath to calm herself. Then she said in a more subdued tone, "Did you know my husband, Miss Elizabeth? Did you agree that William was a nice man devoted to his religious belief? He would never kill those women. I am done with following my mother to anywhere. I will go to London after I see Oakham Mount. I will hire the best lawyer to prove that William and I are married and clear his name. I will prove that Lord Metcalf, Richard and Mama are all wrong."

Elizabeth exchanged a glance with Darcy and then said some words to placate Anne. "My acquaintance with Mr. Collins was of short duration. I think Mr. Darcy should take you back to Netherfield now."

Darcy took Anne's hand, nodded to Elizabeth and walked his cousin back towards Netherfield with a grim expression on his face. Elizabeth strolled towards Longbourn. Not only had she got a wicked Mr. Wickham trying to blackmail her, but Collins also seemed to have a staunch supporter who had the resources to stir up a storm. If only Elizabeth could have forgotten about Wickham and Anne. She would focus on her writing and using what she had learned in the future to improve Longbourn.

~0~

That night Mary and Elizabeth sat by a window watching the stars.

"The stars are awfully bright tonight, are they not?" asked Mary.

"Yes, they are, and so shiny and beautiful," Elizabeth replied. She then fetched the diary she had written in Lucy's time to show Mary.

"Your imagination is pretty amazing!" Mary said after quickly scanning the diary.

"Thank you. Will you give me some comments so that I can revise the manuscript and send it to Uncle Edward?"

"You want to ask him to help you publish it? But surely we are gentlewoman, we should not 'work'."

"I am done with being a defenceless woman," Elizabeth said. "This incident with Collins, the Wicked Pastor taught me that. I am going to earn money and invest it for our future. With my assistance, Papa will improve the yield of Longbourn and Mama will learn to cut her expenses. We will provide for ourselves adequately, by the time Father dies, many many years later."

"Now that Mr. Collins is dead, the entail is broken. Papa can name anyone as heir. I do not think we should need to worry about our future. Also, Jane said Charles would take care of us in any case."

Elizabeth was not so sure about the entail, especially if Miss de Bourgh could prove her marriage to Collins and that she delivered a son. But Elizabeth would not worry Mary at this point.

"Did you not get frustrated with relying on other people or circumstances to take care of our future? Why can we not take care of it ourselves? We have all the books in the world to read. Father and many landowners have the same books about farming and estate management that are available to us. Why did we not do that ourselves, seeing that Father is unwilling to do so. You and I can work together."

"I would like that," Mary said, happy to be included in this venture by Elizabeth. "Papa prefers philosophy and history to practical books."

"Exactly. I do not want to blame Papa or Mama for the situation in Longbourn. All of us should take some responsibility too. I think Papa has done some good work to rein in Kitty and Lydia's improper behaviour."

Mary nodded head. "But we still have to resolve the issues about Mr. Wickham."

"Oh, Mary, please do not ruin a perfectly encouraging evening with a talk about that monster."

"Well, I can't help but think of him."

"I know and that is why I am worried, but his hatred for Mr. Darcy and his greed for wealth are so much that he will not risk any immediate action."

"He is a manipulative pig," Mary grumbled. "I hope we do not have to meet him soon."

"Let's hope we have a few days to breathe before the next time."

"We should have found a solution to this problem by then, do not you think?"

"Yes, we should have."

"You know what strikes me as strange, though?" Mary added.

"What?"

"Mr. Darcy seemed to have a deep-seated hatred for Mr. Wickham, I wonder what Mr. Wickham did to him."

"It must be horrid. Mr. Darcy is an honourable man! He will not have an implacable resentment towards Mr. Wickham, if the militiaman is not real devilish." Elizabeth defended.

"You think Mr. Wickham could be blackmailing Mr. Darcy?"

Elizabeth pondered for a moment. "I doubt it, if Mr. Wickham was, he wouldn't need us then."

"That's a good point. Whatever the case be, I want this whole drama with Mr. Wickham to be over as soon as possible."

"So do I, I hate the effect it has on father."

"I'm glad mother knows nothing about it," Mary said.

"Me also. It's getting late, let us go to bed. But promise me you will review the diary. And I shall talk to Papa about improving Longbourn's yield tomorrow."

And so, the conversation ended and the sisters went to bed, both with many thoughts on their mind.

~0~

The next morning, the sisters' apprehension came true. They received an unwanted visitor in the person of Wickham. Elizabeth was woken roughly by Mary, who panicked at Wickham's sudden arrival.

"Lizzy, wake up at once. Mr. Wickham is downstairs with Father."

"What?" asked a confused and drowsy Elizabeth.

"Mr. Wickham, he is downstairs with Father. Get up!"

Elizabeth jolted awake.

"What? Why? So early in the morning? Did the man have no work to do from Colonel Forster? What could he possibly want?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh no," Elizabeth mumbled. "I hope it is not a new scheme to demand more money."

"Quick! Get dressed. We must discover what all this is about."

Elizabeth got dressed hurriedly and ran down the stairs with Mary.

At that moment, Mr. Bennet showed Mr. Wickham out of the house. Mary and Elizabeth went after their father to his study and immediately bombarded him with questions.

"What is Mr. Wickham doing here so early, father?" Elizabeth said.

"Why did he come?" Mary jumped in too.

"Why are you so down? I hope he did not make any more threats?" Elizabeth continued.

"Or did he make any new demands?"

Mr. Bennet signaled for them to be quiet and as soon as they were, he said, "The scoundrel asked for…"

"He what, father?" asked his daughters, their voices dripping with concern.

"He declared his love for Lydia. He met up with Lydia secretly yesterday afterward."

"This has gone too far!" Elizabeth cried out. "he has dragged Lydia, a young girl not yet fifteen, into this as well? Is he going to ever stop?"

"The worst part of this," said Mr. Bennet, "Is that it is very likely that Lydia is in love with him."

"That's sadly true," admitted Mary, "Mr. Wickham is a handsome man and many girls throw themselves at him when he first stationed here. Someone who is attractive and a reason to be centre of jealousy, those are the two things Lydia seeks. Papa, I am sorry the last three months of hard work by the governesses and you did not prevent Lydia from falling for the rake."

"We cannot let him have Lydia," Elizabeth said. "Mr. Wickham is too much of a wicked soul and he has probably deceived her with is colourfully constructed sentences."

"He certainly does have a way with words," Mr. Bennet admitted, "Even just now talking to him, I near forgot that he was blackmailing me. He smirked and charmed. What a strange person he is!"

"Mother should not hear about his intentions with Lydia," Mary commented.

"Oh, I doubt we can protect your mother much longer. Mr. Wickham is becoming increasingly bold."

"Are you certain we should not involve Mr. Darcy?" Mary asked, hopefully.

"Maybe we will have to eventually, but not yet. Not just yet." Mr. Bennet said.

"Hasn't it escalated out of control already? We are at risk of losing Lydia and our hands are tied. I say it's time we invited help," Mary insisted.

"Well, we will when I say it's time!"

Mary and Elizabeth were shocked by their father's outburst. He had not raised his voice in anger in years.

"I'm sorry, father," Mary apologized.

"It's alright. I shouldn't have raised my voice."

"I am going back upstairs," announced Mary.

Mary left in a hurry, went into her room, and burst into tears, weeping uncontrollably until Elizabeth came, bringing her some food and comforting her. When Mary had composed herself and eaten, Elizabeth left the room and went for her morning walk. She was happy that she had time at least to talk to Mrs. Hill about some ways to curb Mrs. Bennet's spending with her knowing about it.

~0~

"Elizabeth, a word please," Mr. Wickham seemed to be waiting for her at the fork to Netherfield. "I trust that you are fine, Lizzy."

"Quit the pleasantries. What do you want?"

"Wow, harsh. Okay then, let's get straight to the point, I hope you have not forgotten our agreement?"

"How could I? You want me to set up Mr. Darcy so that you can extort him as you please."

"That is a fancy way to put it, but yes, our agreement. Why so grumpy? I thought you hated Darcy Boy's guts?"

"No, I hate your guts, Mr. Wickham. Now back to what you were saying?"

"Fine, since you want to be that way. When are we going to execute our plan?"

"Nothing is going to be executed unless you swear to steer clear of Lydia."

"Ahh, so that's what has gotten you so worked up."

"Stay away from my sister, or I will damn the consequences," Elizabeth said with her fists tight.

"You will damn the consequences, eh? Well, I will have you know that I am truly in love with Lydia."

"You shut your lying mouth," Elizabeth stepped forward so aggressively that Wickham took a step back involuntarily. Lucy and Brenda had taught Elizabeth some moves to fight bad guys on the streets and defence herself if the needs arose. Elizabeth was seriously tempted to knock the smirk off Wickham's face.

"I really do. I do not know a woman like Lydia. She is truly amazing."

"Lydia is a girl. Stay away from her or you can forget about our deal!"

Wickham licked his lips and took a step forward, "I like a woman who knows how to bargain. Alright then, but you must do everything I say…" he paused and took a long look at her form, "…And maybe more."

"Stay away from Lydia," Elizabeth repeated.

"You will send a note to Darcy inviting him to Longbourn for dinner tomorrow."

"To what purpose?"

"Seduction, of course, when you get a moment alone with him. And make sure someone discovers both of you in the act."

She stared at Wickham pointedly for several seconds before asking.

"Seduction?"

"Yes, you see men are rather fragile creatures. We are weak-willed and give in to pressure easily."

Elizabeth nodded her head, absently. She needed to talk to Mr. Darcy privately. The dinner scheme suited her, as well. She decided to trust Mr. Darcy to help them.

Wickham smiled triumphantly, "Very well then, I have spoken to your father. Be sure to remind him how much he owes me, I will be distraught if I do not receive the money on the day I asked."

"I will be sure to let him know."

"And cheer up, will you? I am doing you a favour. He will be forced to marry you after he realizes what he has done. A lifetime of wealth and prestige? I am surprised I must threaten you into assisting me. Prudes like yourself disgust me."

Elizabeth did not say a word in response. The sooner Wickham was gone, the sooner she could get on with her work for the day.

"I will check on you every day. Hopefully, I shall not have a reason to be upset with you."

"Goodbye, Mr. Wickham." She turned and went inside without looking back.

~0~

Elizabeth decided to take the invitation to Netherfield in person. If she could have a moment to talk to Mr. Darcy, it would be better than wait till the dinner the next day. Mary was calm enough to join her. When they arrived, they were told that Jane had joined Mr. Bingley on a visit but would return shortly. Mr. Darcy and his aunt and cousin were out. While the sisters waited for Jane to arrive, they decided to take a walk through the garden. Miss Bingley waved them off cheerfully. She would not admit that she was furious with Mr. Darcy for not taking her out together with his relative. She would not like to speak to the lowly sisters politely in the parlour when all she wanted was to vent her anger at them.

"Mr. Wickham will truly stay away from Lydia from henceforth?" Mary asked.

Elizabeth nodded her head.

"How were you able to achieve that?"

"I threatened not to do what he instructed me to. He made a show of detailing the consequences that would follow if I ever disobeyed him but promised not to touch Lydia. He means for me to marry Mr. Darcy with the aim of extorting him. I hope I can explain everything to Mr. Darcy. He will help us. He is a magnificent person, so forgiving and understanding."

"It is surprising how much you have fallen in love with Mr. Darcy since your first acquaintance, Lizzy."

"I am not entirely sure it is love but I do feel very strange when I am around him."

"That is known as love."

"Have you ever been in love, Mary?"

"The Colonel is attentive but I am still uncertain. And most men look for beauty and women in the prettiest dresses. You know I am plain."

"We are all drawn to beauty. But you are wrong. You have your own beauty. You must not let Mother's belittling words to harm you. You will find your man one day."

Unknown to the ladies, Caroline Bingley was up to her old trick. She had followed the two sisters and hidden closer by to listen to their conversation.

"I am very nervous to see Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said. "What if I cannot summon up the courage to tell him about Mr. Wickham's plan?"

"We talked about this earlier, Lizzy. It was your idea, was it not?"

"I know. It is just that sometimes the alternative seems easier."

"You mean helping Mr. Wickham compromise and extort Mr. Darcy is preferable to telling Mr. Darcy the truth about Wickham's conspiracy? Would you prefer to seduce Mr. Darcy and then blackmail him into marrying you?"

"You make it sound like it is a walk in the park."

"I'm sorry, I know this must be difficult for you but you have to be able to make the right decision. Our family's safety depends on it."

"I understand that. Believe me, I do."

"I do not understand why you and father initially refused to tell the one person who Mr. Wickham fears. But now things have truly escalated and a move must quickly be made."

"Has Mr. Darcy not done too much for us already?"

"That was my logic at first, but how do you suppose Mr. Darcy would feel if all this blows out of proportion and he finds out that you could have told him all along? How would he feel?"

"I suppose he would be upset."

"You suppose? He most definitely will."

Caroline, who had been listening eagerly, had heard all she needed to. This confirmed the other conversation she had overheard Mr. Darcy with Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She sauntered off brimming with righteous fury. Her own Darcy? A conspiracy against her own Darcy? As she hopped along, she formulated a plan, she had to make this as big a deal as possible.


	15. Someone is dead

_Thank you, Happy Lizzy, Nanciellen, Liysyl, GemmaDarcy for commenting. I agreed with the Portuguese speaking guest that Lizzy seems quite immature in the story so far. I hope she will grow up more soon. Now, lovely readers, are you ready for one more body count? Happy reading and remember to review! Your encouragement feeds my Muse._

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**Chapter 15**

Before Mary and Elizabeth left for Longbourn, Jane and Charles returned to Netherfield. Miss Bingley used the opportunity to manipulate the married couple to move the Longbourn's invitation to a large party at Netherfield instead, pending Mrs. Bennet and others' agreement.

Elizabeth was worried about Wickham's reaction in the delay of his 'compromise' plan. However, she later learned from Lydia that the militiaman was sent to London for an errand and would not be back to Meryton for a week. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. At least her Father could delay the payment of the blackmail for a few days and she hoped to have the time to talk to Mr. Darcy during her morning walk.

But the weather was not on Elizabeth's side. Rain poured from heaven for five days and she was couped up in Longbourn for the entire duration. Elizabeth took advantage of the time and made some headways with her Father, to discuss crop rotation for the planting in spring. She also made sure Mr. Bennet did not abandon his effort to teach Kitty and Lydia. Working tirelessly with Mrs. Hill, Elizabeth tried to keep Mrs. Bennet from overspending and save from the household accounts. At the same time, she started to revise her manuscript, based on Mary's comments. Elizabeth sent a letter to her uncle in London, thanking him for help during her absence and ask for advice on finding a publisher and searching for investment opportunities in trade. From her time in the future, Elizabeth knew that landowners would face a lot of challenges. The weather and the shift in people from the countryside to cities would make income from farm products unstable. She would do her utmost to ensure her family thrived facing these difficulties.

~0~

On the day of the Netherfield party, the sun returned. Still, Mrs. Bennet forbade any of her daughters, in particular, Elizabeth, to walk out. The roads were still muddy and she would not allow her daughters to ruin their clothes or complexion when a night of entertainment was to have.

The Bennets arrived slightly late due to some mishap with Kitty's gown. Elizabeth frowned at the number of people gathered at Netherfield. It seemed Jane, at Miss Bingley's instigation, had invited not just the whole of Meryton, the militia, but some friends of Miss Bingley and her brother from London. The gathering was staged in the ballroom, due to the number of guests.

"Have you seen Mr. Darcy yet?" Elizabeth said to Mary, who had been searching for Darcy for 20 minutes.

"Not yet," said Mary, "but I am sure he will show up soon."

A voice came from behind them, "Would either of you beautiful ladies care to dance?" They turned around and to their surprise, saw Mr. Wickham. He was not supposed to be back from London. And why would Jane invite him, knowing that Mr. Darcy hated the man? Dread fell on both women and they were unable to hide their shock.

"Mr. Wickham? What are you doing here?" Elizabeth said, seethed with anger.

"You do not seem pleased to see me here, my dear Elizabeth. What did you think? That I am so scared of Darcy Boy that I would not dare come? Do not be silly."

"Why are you here?" asked Mary.

"Can either of you at least pretend to be happy to see me?"

"Why would we be happy to see you?" Elizabeth retorted.

"Oh well, I hope you haven't forgotten our little agreement? I told you I will see things through. I do not mind that it is slightly delay. And I aim to collect from your Father soon."

"You should not have come," Elizabeth said. "Your presence here might ruin things. You know, Mr. Darcy does not like to see you."

"The entire militia camp is invited. I am here on the off chance that you might choose to do something silly."

"I already assured you that I would not."

"One cannot be too sure, have you located Darcy Boy yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, do so as soon as you can." Wickham spied Lydia moving in their direction and had no patience to entertain the girl. He saw Lady Catherine de Bourgh sitting with a sour expression all alone at the other end of Netherfield ballroom, near the French door by the balcony. Wickham hoped Her Ladyship remembered him from his childhood year. Perhaps he could charm her to part with some of her money too. He moved stealthily towards Lady Catherine.

Miss Bingley, on seeing Wickham from afar, knew that she would have to act fast if her plan were to take shape and come to fruition. She had to slow down her rivals and she knew just how. She walked over to Elizabeth but heard Elizabeth gasped. Elizabeth's eyes had followed Wickham's movement. It seemed Miss de Bourgh, covered from head to toe in a dark overcoat had joined the gathering too, slipping into the ballroom from the balcony door. Elizabeth decided to move in that direction, taking Mary with her. It would not do if Miss de Bourgh's condition was known to the guests. Elizabeth also did not want Anne to talk about her marriage to a wicked Mr. Collins; as the murder of the man was already reported widely in Kent and Hertfordshire. Miss Bingley followed suit. She could not make out of the houseguests. Still, it seemed Miss Eliza might help her understand the strange behaviour of Lady Catherine and her daughter.

"Lady Catherine, I thought that you must certainly be thirsty, so I brought you a drink," Elizabeth said. And not to be outdone, Miss Bingley turned to Elizabeth, "I was going to do the same, to offer Lady Catherine a drink. Since you have already done so, Miss Eliza, here is a drink for you. We are gathering tonight to unofficially honour you, to celebrate your return, after three long months of absence. Where have you been, Miss Eliza, in the past three months?"

"How thoughtful, who are you, girl?" Lady Catherine interrupted loudly while accepting the drink.

"Mother, it is the sister of our hosts, Miss Caroline Bingley. You met and talked with her in the last few days." Miss Anne said, somewhat impatiently.

"Did I? Oh, the tradesman's daughter," Lady Catherine put down the drink on the side table beside her, immediately dismissed Miss Bingley's presence and turned her attention to Wickham. "What have we got here? Why do you look vaguely familiar?"

"Lieutenant George Wickham at your service, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I am late Mr. Darcy's godson."

"That charming rascal! Where have you been this decade? Why did you have to satisfied yourself with a lowly lieutenant wage in the militia? Surely my brother Darcy had left you enough money in his will."

"I have been doing this and that and a lot of travelling. I find I am quite content with my life with the militia."

Elizabeth eyed the de Bourghs and Wickham talking while she thanked Caroline softly for the drink.

"It is nothing, we are sisters, after all." Miss Bingley then walked away with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Mr. Wickham, who had been watching the exchange, seized the drink from Elizabeth, when Lady Catherine and her daughter started to argue between the two of them and ignored him.

"You have an important task ahead of you, you cannot afford to be distracted." He drew his head toward Elizabeth and whispered.

"Why can't you just let me alone for a few moments?"

"After tonight? You may have all the free moments you desire."

He put down the glass on the side table and smiled tauntingly at Elizabeth. Elizabeth excused herself from the de Bourghs, walked off to search for Mr. Darcy so she could tell him and be done with Wickham for good. Mary was, however, detained as Miss de Bourgh started to talk with her about music and the bible. By the time Elizabeth found Mr. Darcy, she had seen that Miss Bingley was offering him a drink and thought whether she should interrupt the moment. Elizabeth was surprised by how jealous she was and almost involuntarily stepped between them to call Mr. Darcy's attention to her.

"Mr. Darcy, I have been waiting for you for our dance?"

Mr. Darcy, who was pleased with seeing Elizabeth, immediately turned his attention from Miss Bingley to Elizabeth, much to Caroline's dismay. Although he had not asked Elizabeth for a dance, he would not contradict her word and a chance to dance with his beloved.

"I am so sorry. I have been delayed and only just walked into the room. Shall we dance?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Miss Bingley, would you hold this for me?" he said, handing the drink she had only just offered him back to her. Elizabeth could see Caroline with a murderous glint in her eyes. Darcy left with Elizabeth for the dance floor and soon, they were in each other's arms dancing dreamily.

"Mr. Darcy, there is something I must tell you."

"Can it wait? This moment is too perfect."

"I doubt that it can, it is a very important matter."

"Alright then, tell me what it is."

"Well, the thing is…"

Just then, she was cut off by a shrill scream from across the hall. People scrambled to see what had happened. By the side of Lady Catherine and Mary, Mr. Wickham lay dead on the floor, blood oozing out of his mouth and his eyes wide open in horror.

"Dear Lord," Elizabeth breathed. "Dear Lord."

The crowd around Wickham gasped in shock and panic. A few men, including Bingley and Darcy, ran to Wickham to see if he could be resuscitated. Elizabeth followed Mr. Darcy, stood frozen, shock and horror washing through her. Wickham's vitals were checked and he was pronounced dead. Lydia found out what had happened. She threw herself over Wickham's dead body and cried out loud. "My dear, Wicky! My dear love!"

By the side, Mary embraced Elizabeth tightly. "Lizzy, what happened?"

"I am as confused as you are Mary, I am afraid this is all too much for me to bear. Where is Miss de Bourgh?"

"She must have slipped out through the balcony. Wickham is dead, Lizzy. Wickham is dead. We would be freed from his blackmail."

"Why do I feel like this is just the beginning of our troubles, not the end?"

"I hope not," Mary shook her head.

"Let us get Lydia away from Wickham, before she cried out more inappropriate words," Elizabeth said.

The two sisters managed to get Lydia away from the scene.

Darcy joined them shortly and held out his hands to Elizabeth's.

"Are you alright, Miss Elizabeth? I am sorry you had to see that, unfortunately, Wickham is dead. This is very troubling indeed, would you like to go home now? Or would you rather stay here?"

"I think I'd rather stay here. Pray where is Jane? I haven't seen her."

"Mrs. Bingley returned upstairs, Charles told me, she is not feeling well."

"I would like to see her, please. Lydia may benefit from a lie-down."

"No, I need Mother!" Lydia struggled against her sisters and ran towards the other side of the ballroom to her mother's side.

"Let us go, Mrs. Bennet and Miss Lydia may benefit from Mrs. Bingley's calm presence. Bingley will handle the emergency." They continued to move away from where Wickham laid dead.

Caroline, who had seen all that happened and ran up to meet Mr. Darcy, right by the door opening to the corridor.

"Oh, Mr. Darcy," she cried in a low voice, shedding tears, "If only you had listened to me, none of this would have happened."

"What are you talking about, Miss Bingley? This is not the time."

"I tried to warn you earlier, yet you refused to listen to me, now look what has happened?" Miss Bingley whispered.

"What are you talking about?" asked Elizabeth.

"Be quiet, you conniving murderess," spat Caroline, still speaking in a low voice.

"Miss Bingley, what is this madness?"

"Miss Eliza here connived with her sister to murder Mr. Wickham."

"What!" Elizabeth cried out. "How dare you make such an unfound accusation."

"A mere accusation, you say? Then tell me, why were you both talking the day you came to visit Jane about how Mr. Wickham blackmailed you into compromising Mr. Darcy."

"How did you hear that?"

Darcy, who was too shocked to speak, turned to Elizabeth in confusion. "What is she talking about, Miss Elizabeth?"

"Go ahead, Miss Eliza, explain yourself," Caroline added, triumphantly.

"For the sake of God and everything good shut up, Miss Bingley!" Darcy cried out in low voice. Then he turned to Elizabeth with equal aggression." Miss Elizabeth, what in the world is Miss Bingley talking about?"

"That is what I tried to tell you earlier during our dance," Elizabeth put her hand on Darcy's arm and whispered. "Mr. Wickham found out about my…involvement with Mr. Collins and has been blackmailing my Father and me. He tried to get me to compromise you so he could extort you for money and I planned to tell you."

"Why didn't you?" Darcy shook Elizabeth's hand away. "Why wait until tonight? Or did you perhaps intend to follow through with Wickham's plan after all?"

"Mr. Darcy, you know I would never…"

"But I do not, do I? I believe you when you said you had nothing to do with Collins. But you were gone for three months and would not tell me where. And now Wickham? I do not know what to think."

"Yes, Mr. Darcy, Miss Eliza has been playing you for a fool."

Darcy ignored Miss Bingley completely and murmured again. "I do not know what to believe anymore."

Mary interjected: "Mr. Darcy, please, you have to listen to Elizabeth and me. We have been trying to find you since we arrived and Elizabeth is going to tell you about Wickham's blackmailing."

"I want to, but this is all too much to bear. Let me alone, all of you."

He stalked off to the other end of the ballroom, filled with emotion, and very confused.

"You!" Elizabeth said, pointing the finger at Miss Bingley.

"The murderess points the finger at me threateningly, how frightened I am," Caroline taunted.

"Why would you set me up in such a way? What have I ever done to you?"

"Nothing particular, except maybe trying to compromise the man I am in love with."

"If you really heard what we said, then you know I had no intention of carrying out the plan and every intention of informing Mr. Darcy."

"It did not sound that way to me," Miss Bingley smiled and turned to leave but paused and added, "If you have any need of me, I will be comforting my darling Mr. Darcy," she then went away.

"What are we going to do, Mary?"

Right at that moment, an announcement was made, informing everyone present that they would not be allowed to leave the ballroom until Sir William and his team had interrogated everyone present.

There was panic as people realized that a murderer was among them. Sir William's team blocked all the exits to make sure no one could leave then proceeded with their interviews.

Sir Williams himself was interrogating a lady from London. She was a rather tall woman with a very pale face that held a constant look of indifference.

"What do you know of Mr. Wickham's death, Miss Grey?"

"Nothing at all, sir, except that it appears the victim was poisoned."

"Why would you assume he was poisoned?"

"Well, it is an easy assumption. I witnessed Mr. Wickham's death and was standing close to him."

"Go on."

"Well, the charming was clutching his stomach and appeared to be in tremendous pain. He looked very uncomfortable. I thought originally he was sick was wondered why he came to the gathering at all and then he fell."

"So, you believe it was a murder?"

"Why, yes."

"So from your account, whatever it was that hurt him was given to him at tonight's gathering."

"Yes. Mr. Wickham was a charming man and I could not help but follow him around with my eyes. He looked to be in excellent health for the past three-quarters of an hour in the room until he was in pain for the last few minutes."

"That's a sensible conclusion."

"That would be all, sir?"

"Yes, that would be all."

Then Sir William instructed Manders, his assistant, to have her write a statement before moving on to the next person.

"What do you know of Mr. Wickham's death, Mr. Boulanger?"

"Not much, really. I did not witness Mr. Wickham's death."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you notice anything suspicious during the evening?"

"I might have, I am not sure."

"Tell me what you saw, regardless of how small the detail is."

"Well, I do remember seeing him talking to the Bennet girls earlier."

"The Bennet girls?"

"Yes"

"Which of them?"

"I am not sure, sir, but it was two of them, dressed in yellow and blue. Mr. Wickham seemed to be having a quarrel with them and the girls were clearly displeased by his presence."

"Did you, by any chance, hear what they were saying?"

"No, I did not. I was trying to get a drink myself, sir."

"I see. Thank you for your help. Manders will write out your statement now."

Then sighting Miss Bingley, Sir William decided he would speak to her next.

"Miss Bingley."

"Sir William, very nice to see you, Sir."

"Not the most pleasant occasion, I must say."

"The evening was intended to be pleasant, yet it has ended so terribly."

"Do you happen to know anything about Mr. Wickham's death?"

"Well, I barely knew the man but I know that he has enemies. One of them happens to be my brother's friend Mr. Darcy."

"You mean Mr. Darcy has a motive for killing him?" Sir William tried to suppress the glee in his mind.

"No, certainly not. I have an excellent idea who did this but I can only tell you if you promise to keep me anonymous."

"Certainly."

"It was Mary Bennet."

"Mary Bennet? Are you certain?" Sir William was disappointed that it was not Mr. Darcy. But a Bennet would do it nicely for him to take down Mr. Bennet's pride a notch. Sir William nodded his head. Miss Mary was wearing a blue gown tonight.

"Yes, I am."

"A man just told me Mr. Wickham had been arguing with two Bennet girls earlier."

"That makes sense, considering what I overheard them saying in the garden several days ago." Miss Bingley went on to tell Sir William all she had overheard and how Mary and Elizabeth had conspired with Wickham to compromise Mr. Darcy.

"This is heavy allegation. But if Miss Mary, Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Wickham were conspiring against Mr. Darcy, then why would Miss Mary kill her accomplice Mr. Wickham? Doesn't that defeat the purpose."

"I cannot answer that, but then is it not common for criminals to betray each other out of greed?"

"Greed is a primary motivator for the crime. But then, why Miss Mary? Why not Miss Elizabeth?"

"Miss Mary stayed behind with Mr. Wickham and the de Bourghs when Miss Elizabeth went dancing with Mr. Darcy. I saw Miss Mary within reach of the glasses of wine by the side table where Lady Catherine sat. But perhaps you are right, Sir William, Miss Elizabeth could have instructed her younger sister to do the deed for her."

"Oh my, are you sure of what you saw?"

"Very positively sure."

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation."

"I need to know, will you keep me anonymous?"

"I will, until the trial. This is a murder case. Your identity is safe."

Sir William left to speak with his men and Miss Mary was arrested. He would not arrest Miss Elizabeth yet. He hoped Elizabeth's younger sister would give her up as the mastermind during the interrogation. The Bennets were very confused and strongly protested.

"Calm down, Mr. Bennet. We have gathered substantial evidence against your daughter and will perform further investigations in the next few days. But for now, Mary Bennet is the prime suspect and must go with us, several witness accounts have linked her directly to the murder."

"Murder? My daughter Mary? That is quite impossible."

"Perhaps you should speak with your daughter Miss Elizabeth about their dealings with Mr. Wickham."

Elizabeth ran forward and said, "Mary did not murder Wickham."

"Were you with Mary Bennet all the time?"

"No… but."

"Where were you?"

"I was dancing with Mr. Darcy, but…"

"Then your words hold no water," Sir William said condescendingly. "If you left Mary Bennet for some time, no matter how small, then you cannot say she did not murder Wickham. We have witnesses who confirm that Miss Mary has the motive and opportunity to do so. Now I do not want to hear another word if you do not want to be implicated in the murder."

Mrs. Bennet burst into tears as Miss Mary was walked out of Netherfield's ballroom. Lydia would have run after Miss Mary, to hit her for killing off her beloved, if Mr. Bennet had not been holding her back. Elizabeth tried to comfort her sisters and mother but found herself weeping along with them. Sir William had his men put the wine glasses in a bag and left Manders to guide Wickham's body.

The Bennets left the Netherfield shamefully, before Jane came downstairs, as people in the ballroom pointed and whispered about them. Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth's anguish from afar, not knowing what to do to help her.

* * *

_A.N. Send me some love by reviewing! I'll be away for three weeks but I will try to stick to the schedule if I have Internet connection. _


	16. supernatural experience

A.N. I'm back from three week travel in Southeast Asia (not time-travel, haha!). Thank you, GemmaDarcy, Beatriz, Liysyl, DSLeo, Guest, Happy Lizzy, Regency1914 and Colleen for the lovely reviews. Here is a new chapter for you. Happy Reading and don't forget to give me some comments.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Back at Netherfield, the Bingleys were discussing the events in their bedroom.

"Your countenance has been dull of recent, is anything the matter dear?" Mr. Bingley asked.

Jane, who had been staring out at the sky through a window, was jerked back into her surroundings by her husband's question.

"Did you perhaps say something?"

"Yes, I asked if anything is the matter, you seem moody."

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. I am just woolgathering."

"Are you sure? I have observed a fall in your countenance for a few days now. I hope you are not worried about Mary? I promised she will be fine. Darcy and I will do whatever we can."

"I know, forgive me for worrying you. It is a little difficult for me not to drift into thought. I will try harder to control my mind from wandering."

"I did not mean to reprimand you. I am only concerned. Come here."

She left the dressing table and sat next to him on the bed, leaning into him for comfort.

"Come on now, tell me all that troubles you. You have been my pillar whenever I needed strength. Let me be that for you."

"It is nothing really. You being here is more than enough."

"Jane, you are the entirety of my world and I want to share your problems. You should not have to keep those troubling thoughts to yourself."

Jane smiled weakly and looked into Bingley's eyes, knowing he could see her fragility.

"Charles," she said with a sigh, "I really do not know… these feelings are very complicated and they are all so much."

"Perhaps you should begin with the smaller things and build up from there."

"That is the problem, my love. None of them is small."

"Alright," Bingley said with great patience. "What troubles you at the moment."

"Mary."

"I know. About her arrest?"

"That she might have to go to trial and she will be given the death sentence."

"Jane, please do not think that way. I understand how troubling it must be for you to have your sister in jail for suspected murder. But you must not let thoughts like that consume you. Have faith in your sister's innocence and trust that she will be vindicated."

"It is difficult not to think of the alternative."

"Jane, look at me." She turned to face him and he cradled her face in his hands. "Do you trust me?"

"More than anyone else."

"Everything will be fine. I want you to believe that. Mary will not go to trial, I promise."

"I trust you… I only wish I had been there for Elizabeth and Mary when they needed me".

"What do you mean?"

"Lizzy needed me when Mr. Collins proposed marriage and Mother and Father forced her to accept. The man was evil. How could I not see that and said that he was a good man, polite and responsible? I even joke that Lizzy's married life would only lack entertainment and fill with some occasional embarrassment. If Lizzy had married Mr. Collins, she would have suffered physical hurt or even killed by the monster! She was injured by the beast at Oakham Mount and did not tell us where she had been for those three months. I lost her trust. How did I just sit there and allow it all to happen."

"None of this is your fault. No one asked for this to happen. At one time or the other, we all encountered Mr. Collins and none of us had a bad impression of him… well beyond his evident self-absorption."

"But that is the problem. I should have been more protective of Lizzy. She is my sister and best friend. If I detected the slightest indication that he would not be a good match for her, I should have spoken up. Instead, I kept quiet or did the opposite and only spoke to maintain a false positivity."

"You are far too harsh on yourself."

"I deserve it. Charles, I… I am not really a good person."

"It baffles me how you who manage to find goodness in the worst and most depraved people cannot seem to see good in your own self. You are the sweetest and most kind person I have ever known. I do not understand how you are unable to see that."

"Perhaps I am not thinking clearly. I am indeed lucky to have you, Charles."

"I am even more fortunate to have you, darling. You are my greatest source of joy and it kills me to see you sad. Think no more about Mary's incarceration. Darcy and I will make sure she is being treated well and I assure you that she will be free as soon as possible."

~0~

Elizabeth had a fretful night. Early next morning right after dawn, she set out for a morning walk to clear her head and to think about how to help Mary. Unwittingly she walked towards the base of Oakham Mount. Much to her shock, Mr. Darcy seemed to be waiting for her there.

"What are you doing here at such an hour, Mr. Darcy?"

Darcy did not answer her, but kept pacing in circles and stared at Elizabeth from time to time.

"Why are you here, Mr. Darcy? I hope all is well with Jane at Netherfield?"

"Mrs. Bingley is fine, I guess, but that is not why I am here."

"Why, then?"

"I could not sleep. I had to see you."

"What is so urgent?" she said.

"You could not sleep either?"

"No, I could not. Life has given me a lot to think about."

"As it has with me," he was silent for a moment then said, "Why did you not tell me about Wickham?"

"I did not want to bother you at first. I felt you had done more than enough to assist us already regarding Mr. Collins's murder. Father also thought so."

"Even when a threat as big as Wickham was present? Do you see how the situation has escalated now? This is an almost impossible problem."

"I know. I have spent all night thinking about it. There seems to be no way around it."

"You know that Miss Mary is in serious trouble. It is a relief that the Lent assizes have passed through Hertfordshire already. It will buy us a few months to prove her innocence before the Summer assizes. I have written to Richard and asked him to return immediately to assist in the investigation."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I am so frustrated with the turn of events."

"We can still hope. I will do my best to make things as easy as possible for Miss Mary."

"Thank you again. You are truly the best man in the world. I am so sorry I let things drag this far. Mary kept trying to convince me that things would be solved if I had told you of Wickham's plans earlier and a part of me knew she was right but I was too scared to do anything about it."

"Speak no more of Wickham's scheme. All that is forgotten."

"Mr. Darcy… I wish things weren't so difficult right now."

"Me either. Will you tell me where you were, during the past three months of your absence?"

Elizabeth bit her lips. She was relieved that Mr. Darcy had sought her out and allowed her to apologize for not telling him about Mr. Wickham. But how could she say to Mr. Darcy about the time travel? But how could she not? They could never achieve any sort of friendship if she hid something from him again. "Before I can tell you. You must promise that this information will stay between us and, more importantly, that you will not dismiss me easily."

"What reason would I have to do so? You know I respect your opinion."

"Well, what I am about to say may make me sound a little like I've lost my senses."

"Elizabeth, you are by far the most levelheaded and intelligent woman I know. It is why I'm drawn to you. I am very sure I will not think you to be insane."

"Alright then, I am very nervous, so you must bear with me."

Darcy stared at her curiously. Elizabeth seemed nervous to the point of jitters.

"I do not think I can do it. Mr. Darcy, I'm sorry."

"Alright, perhaps I will have to set your mind at ease."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

He took her hands into his and clutched them tenderly, then said. "I would never judge you and I want you to be safe in the assurance of my feelings for you. I want you to feel secure around me and that can only happen if you permit yourself to trust me completely. Now breathe and tell me what troubles you."

"I will," Elizabeth said this calmly and was surprised by the effect his words had on her. "When I was away, I did not travel, as you might have been led to believe. I suppose in a way what happened to me could be described as travelling, but I'd rather not call it that. It was more of a supernatural experience."

"Supernatural?" Darcy was thoroughly perplexed. "What happened?"

"There is no other way I can tell you this other than directly, for I lack the skill to describe this experience."

"Go on, please."

"While I was gone, I was not in England."

"You went abroad, to the Continent?"

"No, I was not in the Continent."

"Where did you go then? Ireland?"

"I was in America."

"In that case, I have no reason to think you are crazy, although three months seemed to be quite short for you to go all the way across the ocean, and during such unstable time."

"That is not what is strange about the whole thing."

"There's more? Forgive me for the interruption, please continue."

"I was in America, only it wasn't the present day."

"I don't understand you at all, Elizabeth."

"When Mr. Collins assaulted me, I fell down the cave and encountered a machine. It was a bizarre-looking parasol thing. I found it very difficult to look at it directly as there were many bright swirling lights that seemed to emanate from it," she took a deep breath and continued. "The next thing I knew, I was caught in an overwhelming euphoria and I became unconscious."

"What happened after?" Darcy was trying his best to give her the benefit of the doubt, but after what he had just heard, he had to be amused.

"You must think I am insane by now."

"No, not at all, please continue."

"Well, I woke up and found myself in a stranger's bedroom. A bla… an African American woman."

"An African American woman? Do you mean a black woman? I am confused, how is it that you became unconscious at Oakham Mount and regained consciousness in America, that makes no sense."

"I know, but I need you to believe me. It did happen."

"Elizabeth…," Darcy said with a look of real worry, "What is wrong? Have you been getting any sleep at all of recent?"

"I knew you would react like this. You think I have lost it. Well, I have not. I am perfectly sane and I regret telling you anything at all."

She made to leave but he held her hand.

"I do not think you are crazy. This is just a lot for me to take in."

Elizabeth tried to shrug off his hand.

"Elizabeth, I have not the slightest doubt that you are perfectly sane. I only want to understand what you mean and how it is that you appeared in America without taking any transportation. Have you considered the possibility that you were kidnapped?"

"I was not, even though at first, I was apprehensive that it was some evil scheme of Mr. Collins's depraved mind. It turned out not to be the truth because I soon found that I was in the future, in 1892 to be specific. No means of transport, no matter how fast it can take me to the future."

Darcy went white in the face. He was so alarmed by her words that he found himself frozen to the spot and unable to speak. Seeing his reaction, she walked away angrily and sadly, for Longbourn. He did not chase after her, many thoughts raced through his mind and he struggled to process what he had just been told.

~0~

Later, still early in the morning, Mr. Bennet came to Netherfield and asked his son in law to accompany him to see Sir William. Darcy asked to join the party. The de Bourghs, the Hursts and Miss Bingley were still abed. Darcy was sad and worried that Elizabeth did not come with her father. The three men set off for Lucas Lodge and as soon as they arrived, they were shown to Sir William's study.

"It is astonishing," Sir William began, "That you still insist on supporting this family, Mr. Darcy."

"What I decide to do is nothing to you."

"I know, I know, I am merely amused."

"Well, I wonder if this case also amuses you? That you should have an innocent woman locked up simply because you have the power to do so. When I first met you, I thought you an amiable and respectable fellow. Still, you have proved yourself to be nothing short of contemptuous. I cannot overemphasize my disappointment."

"I am just doing my job, Mr. Darcy," Sir William replied with an angry glint. "Your personal feelings on this matter do not interest me in the least. In the space of four months, two men have died in my jurisdiction and you expect me not to act?"

"No one can blame you for acting but do not act like you have acted wisely. You have simply made a thoughtless decision to put pressure off you and give the people a finger to point at."

"But should you not be most pleased with my decision? Miss Mary, Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Wickham were, after all, plotting against you."

"And you know this how? And on whose words?"

"I am afraid I cannot disclose that information until the day of the trial."

"Now, you care about doing things in the proper manner," Mr. Bennet cried out.

Bingley could see the meeting going out of hand with temper flaring among the parties. He interrupted in a polite voice. "Sir William, would you be kind enough to enlighten us on how Mr. Wickham died? As the murder occurred at Netherfield, I feel it my responsibility to assist you in the investigation."

"Well, Mr. Bingley, I can see that you are fast becoming an upstanding member of our neighbourhood, despite being related to Bennet. Seeing you asked so nicely, I will share some of our learning so far with you. But please do not dream of interfering with MY investigation."

Mr. Bingley agreed with ease, while Bennet and Darcy glared at Sir William.

"Mr. Jones, the apothecary, has found that one of the wine glasses had remnant of a high amount of arsenic and sleeping draught. The autopsy he performed confirms that the cause of the death of Mr. Wickham was poisoning. It was obviously slipped into a glass of wine and given to Mr. Wickham."

"And? How does this prove that Mary poisoned Wickham?" Mr. Bennet asked angrily.

"It doesn't, but we have a witness who says Miss Mary was standing near the wine glasses. She thus had the opportunity. And she was seen to have argued with the deceased earlier. So she has the motive. That is the thing about small towns like this one, the truth is seldom able to hide. The Bennets might have been able to escape the last time concerning Mr. Collins. However, there is no doubt this time that this was your family's doing."

"That is slander!" Mr. Bennet cried out. "We have nothing to do with Mr. Collins's death."

"You sound so certain, Sir William," Bingley murmured.

"I am," Sir William ignored Mr. Bennet's outcry and replied to Bingley. He then turned to Mr. Darcy, "and I must advise you to stay away from this family as associating with them will only cause me to suspect you."

Mr. Darcy gritted his teeth and put his hand to touch Mr. Bennet's elbow to calm the elderly gentleman. "Again, I thank you for your advice, Sir William. I am my own master and will decide whom I associate with. Now, is there anything that can be done for Miss Mary while she waits for the legal proceeding," asked Darcy.

"Well, you can choose to personally sponsor Mary Bennet's upkeep. She is held in the servant quarter here. My two daughters are overseeing her imprisonment. Bennet, be grateful that I did not have your daughter housed in the back of Kings Park Tavern instead. I spared her the indignity of living with the horses and rough travelers who frequented the tavern all because of my wife's friendship with Mrs. Bennet."

Bingley thanked the magistrate before Mr. Bennet could utter more explosive words against the condescending Sir William.

"She can also be provided with books and other things that will have to be approved by us first."

"I will personally see to it that she is taken care of," Darcy said.

"Can we see Mary before we go?" Bingley requested politely. Sir William agreed and asked Charlotte to take the gentlemen to the room.

They went into the tiny room, probably for a maid with bars on the windows, and met Mary in good spirits reading the bible. She was very excited to see them.

"How are you all doing?" she asked.

"Forget about us, how are you doing?" Bingley asked.

"I am doing fine under the circumstances."

"Do not worry," Bingley said, "You will soon be out of here."

Unable to hold back, Mr. Benner drew Mary in for an affectionate embrace.

"Thank you so much for being so strong. I do not think we would be able to bear it if we found you in a terrible state."

"I'll be fine, father. Do not worry."

Then taking a more serious tone, Mary asked. "Have they been able to find the cause of death?"

"Yes, it was a high dose of arsenic and sleeping-draught combination, apparently put in the wine."

"Who would do something like that? And why?"

Darcy speculated that the culprit could be someone who had some enmity with Wickham. "A public event like the ball would be a perfect setting for such a crime."

"It would indeed," echoed Mr. Bennet, "and the culprit is most likely aware that another person has been taken into custody as a suspect."

"But do not think of any of that, Mary. Do your best to keep your spirits up. "We'll get you out," Bingley declared passionately.

The gentlemen all took turns, hugging Mary. Eventually, they had to leave.

On the way back to Netherfield, Darcy was planning in his head what he had to do. He would seek help from Colonel Fitzwilliam and his men. Darcy intended to have a word with his aunt and Anne. They were both near the poisoned wine where Miss Mary was. And then, there were other witnesses whom Sir William had learned about the argument between the two Bennet sisters and Wickham. Also, he would like to talk to Mr. Jones and any other apothecaries near Meryton who could have supplied the arsenic. Finally, Darcy would go to the cave at Oakham Mount. After more thorough thoughts, he did not think Elizabeth would jest about her absence in an outlandish manner, especially right after the arrest of Miss Mary. Could Elizabeth be telling the truth? Could time travel be possible? Why Elizabeth? Why then?


	17. So you believe me?

A.N. Thank you, Nanciellen, Joan, Colleen, Mariantoinette, Happy Lizzy, Gabyhyatt, Liysyl for commenting. You've kept me going! We still do not know who killed Collins and Wickham. Darcy might have a strange experience in the cave. I will have two chapters for you today. Happy Reading!

* * *

**Chapter 17**

"Sir William is so self-righteous that it's actually hilarious." Bingley said, interrupting Darcy's thoughts. They had bid farewell to Mr. Bennet earlier.

"I believe Sir William actually considers himself to be important, what a joke."

"It is unfortunate that he is in charge of such an important office this year."

"Quite a shame, and so sad for Miss Mary."

"Mary seems to be taking the whole thing well. Say, how is Lizzy taking it? You talked to her earlier, right?"

Darcy sighed. "Miss Elizabeth is devastated and she blames herself. She was hesitant to inform me of Wickham's blackmailing and now the whole thing has escalated to impossible proportions."

"Shame, we could have dealt with Wickham earlier."

"Quite easily, in fact. And you know the worst part? Miss Mary who had absolutely nothing to do with any of it was given the blame. Elizabeth would have certainly preferred it if it was her instead."

"Would you?"

"Now, now, Bingley, do not ask me that."

"You seem annoyed by the idea that Lizzy would have preferred it to be her."

"Actually, it's quite admirable, it shows that she loves her sisters dearly."

"I'm sure you like Lizzy more than dearly."

"When will you stop teasing me about Miss Elizabeth?"

"Did you cease mocking me about Jane while I was courting her?"

"I suppose I didn't. So this is some type of revenge?"

"Yes, and I shall continue until Lizzy and you are married."

"I really doubt that will happen soon." Darcy thought glumly about his earlier argument with Elizabeth.

"I am certain Lizzy loves you. It is evident in her eyes."

"Is it? I do not see it."

"That is because you are too blinded by your own feelings."

"What should I do? Propose to her now?"

"Not yet, after Mary has been freed and all sanity has returned."

"Of course. Yes, that is what I shall do."

"This is so strange to watch. Darcy in love, who would have thought?"

"I can be a romantic man."

"You? Romantic? I know sets of cutlery more romantic than yourself."

Darcy glared at Bingley. "Remember, I did tell you half of everything you used to win Mrs. Bingley over."

"Liar, it was my natural flair for poetry that did it," Bingley replied.

"I would believe that if you ever read a book."

"I did say natural flair, did I not?"

"Yes you did, I only wish it were true."

"Admit it, you need my help with Lizzy." Bingley patted Darcy's shoulder.

"Yes, but first, I need your help with this case. Do you know, besides Mr. Jones, where someone can procure arsenic and sleeping draught?"

"Hmm, I think I heard someone mentioned the other day that there is a herb woman in Walthamstow," Bingley scratched his head. "Who said that? I can't remember now. But Walthamstow is just about five miles east of Meryton."

"I could go there and acquire information on who has recently bought these."

"That is a wonderful idea. But you will need a local to help you. Your manner usually makes people clam up."

"Come with me then and I will let that comment go," Darcy said.

"I can offer no assistance there. I am as unfamiliar with this place as you are. Why not ask Lizzy? Jane said Lizzy knows a lot of the neighbouring areas because Mr. Bennet likes to take Lizzy with him when he goes hunting for old books. I can send a maid as the chaperone, if Mr. Bennet cannot spare one. Think of it as an opportunity to get to know Lizzy better. And take my carriage. Your carriage might be too fine for a visit to the local herb woman."

"That is a good idea. Miss Elizabeth and I do need to speak." Darcy murmured, thinking about the time travel thing. "But your carriage? The livery is plain dreadful!"

"Don't let Caroline hear you. She chose it after spending weeks and a handsome sum on it."

~0~

When the two gentlemen arrived at Netherfield, Darcy penned an express to Colonel Fitzwilliam about Miss Mary's situation and a note to Mr. Bennet, requesting Elizabeth's assistance to visit Walthamstow.

Miss Bingley learned of Bingley's request for a maid to go with Miss Eliza and Mr. Darcy and immediately sought out Mr. Darcy. A weighty argument ensured. It concerned Darcy's decision to assist the Bennets.

"It seems that you have been bewitched by that family. Even after Miss Eliza agreed to conspire against you." Caroline's face turned red with anger.

"It is quite apparent that you are jealous of Miss Elizabeth, although I have no idea why you would be."

"I'm not jealous. I just want you to exercise caution about that woman!"

"She has a name and it is called Miss Elizabeth, not Miss Eliza."

"Did you know where that chit has been the past three months? She could have led a debauched life when she was visiting her so-called friends. Why would you still choose to spend time with her? Can you not see that Eliza Bennet is evil?"

"Evil? what evil thing has Miss Elizabeth done?"

"Have I not been saying that already? Miss Eliza conspired against you, tried to compromise you, and then killed Mr. Wickham. Is it until she kills you that your eyes would be open?"

"How did you know? I am beginning to suspect that you might have played a part in all this. Was it you who bore witness against Miss Mary?"

"What? No, of course not," Caroline lied. "I wouldn't go out of my way to do anything for them, not even to bear witness against them."

"I do not believe anything you say anymore."

"Did you ever?"

"Did you ever give me a reason to, Miss Bingley, with all your unfounded accusation about other gentlewomen?"

"But could you not see, Mr. Darcy, that all I ever did was for you?"

"If you consider me your friend, you wouldn't attack everyone I care about."

"Well, maybe you care about the wrong people!"

"The wrong people? They are sisters to Bingley now."

"Only by marriage. Charles made a mistake to tie himself to the Bennets."

"I wonder what Bingley would say to your view about his wife and her family. And who made you judge and jury?"

At that moment, Mrs. Bingley walked into the room.

"I'm sick of all these," Caroline cried out and stormed off.

Jane, who had caught the tail end of the conversation, attempted to comfort Darcy.

"Mr. Darcy. Try and calm down. I know Caroline's opinion about my family. Nothing can be done about that and I'm sure she is just worried about you and means well."

"How is it that you always see the best in people even when they put you and your family down?"

"What's the point in looking for flaws? They are the most noticeable thing about a person. It is much better to look deeper and see the good in people."

"Some people just aren't good, Mrs. Bingley. I am not saying Miss Bingley is not. But if she is a good person, I have not seen any of it. She is so vastly different from Charles, in temperament and character. It is astonishing!"

Right then, a footman came in to bring a note for Darcy. Mr. Bennet had agreed to allow Elizabeth to assist Mr. Darcy to visit the herb woman.

~0~

On getting to Longbourn, Darcy met Elizabeth.

"Hello, Miss Elizabeth."

"Mr. Darcy," she replied, her posture rigid.

"How have you been?"

"I have been doing well, considering that Mary has been incarcerated for attempted murder."

"I think I might have found a way to conduct an investigation."

Elizabeth's shoulders relaxed slightly. "That is exciting news! What is the plan? Father did not explain why I have to accompany you for an outing."

"Wickham was killed by arsenic and a sleeping draught. Bingley suggested that we go to Walthamstow and try to get some useful information from the local herb woman."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I know whom you are speaking of. That will be no problem."

Darcy handed Elizabeth's into Bingley's carriage. The maid from Netherfield moved from the outside seat to inside, as a chaperone. Darcy and Elizabeth remained silent the whole journey until they were about a mile from Walthamstow. Darcy asked the driver to let them get off and drive to an inn ahead. He wanted time to talk to Elizabeth. He walked with Miss Elizabeth on his arm, with the maid following behind.

"Can you tell me more about your…visit to America?" Darcy said.

Elizabeth stopped to stare at him. "You believe me?"

"It is hard to consider that at first. But I know you would not jest when Miss Mary is in such a dire situation. Then I remember reading some ancient myths who depict characters skipping in time. For example, a young fisherman in a Japanese tale visits an undersea palace for three days. When he returns home, he finds himself 300 years in the future. And in another Jewish tale, a scholar is said to have woken up and found himself had slept for 70 years. Perhaps they were not myths but real happening to people who had travelled through time."

Elizabeth breathed out a sigh of relief and continued walking. She did not know if she could give her heart to someone who did not believe her. She was reassured that Mr. Darcy could be so open-minded.

"Can you tell me more about your travel?" Darcy prompted again.

Elizabeth went into detail about her experience in Washington and with Lucy Hill.

Darcy was still shocked to the bone, even though he had talked himself to consider the possibility of time travel earlier. But his sense of logic and his faith in Elizabeth prevented him from doubting the account. He would love to know more about this future world.

"She seems like quite a lovely person, this Miss Lucy Hill. I should have loved to meet her."

"Lucy is the bravest and most diligent woman I have ever met."

"Did it bother you at all that she was black?"

"At first, maybe just a little bit, but after spending some time with her, I realized how foolish it is to look down on a person of a different colour."

"That makes sense. Elizabeth, I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. I was allowed, encouraged, almost taught to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world. Such I was and such I might still have been but for you. You have made me a better man! I am glad that the future will perhaps be a more sensible time for England and the world."

"So, you really do believe me?"

Darcy covered Elizabeth's hand. "I have read books on time too. It seems time is not truly linear. You could have come across a device that was capable of manipulating time the same way we can manipulate energy."

"Thank you for believing me. It is imperative to me."

"I am glad that you told me about it. I do not want the truth about your absence comes between us," Darcy said with a smile. "What will you do with this knowledge?"

"I am not sure if it is right for me to benefit from the knowledge of the future. But I am a selfish being. I will implement some new methods of agriculture to improve Longbourn's yield. There are also opportunities in investment like the steam engine technique and railway. I am also writing a novel called 'Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller', which I aim to publish. I hope to earn enough money to help my sisters and set up schools for women from every walk of life. I admire Lucy's passion for education. I agree with her. Aspiration and education are the most important things to lift people from poverty. The distinction of class is not right. We should all be born equal, in the eyes of God."

"These are revolutionary ideas that threaten the very fabric of English society. But I applaud your efforts, to use the knowledge of the future for the greater good of fellow men and women. That is commendable." Darcy was already thinking of how he could help Elizabeth in her efforts. Farming and investment were his forte. He had experience setting up charity groups and he knew someone in publishing who might be interested in Elizabeth's novel. He felt elated that their lives together would be spent on family and meaningful works. But they must prove Miss Mary's innocence first, before they could talk about their future.

"You flatter me. Talking about insight into the future, Lucy told me of a method called fingerprint identification."

"Fingerprint?"

Elizabeth then told Darcy about the Argentinian anthropologist and police officer who made the first positive identification of a criminal using fingerprinting in 1892.

"That is amazing!"

"Yes, the future holds many wonders."

"Even if we had that technology," Darcy murmured, "it would not help solve Collins's murder in any way. The murder weapon has never been found. I wonder if we can get a fingerprint off Mr. Collins's body."

"I would not know."

Darcy continued the rumination. "You were involved in a struggle with Mr. Collins, so such a machine like that would only put you in deeper trouble. But it will help Miss Mary. Perhaps we can get a fingerprint off the wine glasses. Do you know how to lift a fingerprint off an object and a person?"

"Unfortunately, I wasn't paying too much attention when Lucy talked about it. I was more fascinated with the different patterns on the ridges of our fingers. Last night, I was wondering if I should go to the future to ask Lucy more about it."

Darcy stopped and grabbed Elizabeth's hands. "Promise me, Elizabeth! That you will not venture into the future deliberately. I do not think I can bear to lose you again for any amount of time."

"I was just angry with you for not believing me and worried about Mary. It was a mad idea," Elizabeth said. Darcy released Elizabeth's hands and they continued. "Even if I were to try, I do not know how I will be able to get the time machine to work. It is so unreliable, that was why I had to spend three months in Washington."

"We should put that option to bed now."

"How I wish I could turn back time and prevent Mr. Wickham from overhearing father."

Darcy shook his head. "If we come to that, I wish I could kill Wickham earlier."

"We are not killing anyone, Mr. Darcy! We are not without moral."

"I know."

"I do think about why women have to be so weak," Elizabeth said, full of exasperation. "Why must we always be so passive? All of this, all this trouble with Mr. Wickham, none of it would have happened if it weren't for Mr. Collins."

"The past cannot be helped, Elizabeth."

"What if it can?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"What if we were to find a way to harness the time machine? We can go to the past, correct all the wrong in the world, save the women abused and killed by that evil pastor."

"That makes no sense. You already exist in the past."

"Exactly, I could communicate with a past version of myself? Warn Lizzy in the past about Mr. Collins and save the women and us from all this trouble."

"No, Elizabeth."

"Yes," she said. "Why not? Why shouldn't we?"

"Going to the past isn't like going to the future. There are so many possible futures but the past is the past. If you change the past, you do not know what you might change or lose."

"I feel like I have already lost everything. What if Mary was convicted and hanged?" Elizabeth's voice trembled.

"You haven't. You still have us. You still have me. We will get Miss Mary free. Sir William does not have any solid evidence."

Elizabeth did not reply to Darcy. They walked silently until they arrived at Walthamstow. She led him to the shop of the herb woman. The shop was on a less reputable side of the town and the elderly woman, Mrs. Worting, was attending to a man when they arrived. When she was done, she turned to them.

"How may I help you, you lovely couple?"

"We are not a couple," Elizabeth said, blushing.

"Ahh, I see."

"We are here to acquire some information," Mr. Darcy said.

"It sounds important when you put it that way."

"It is."

"Fire away." Mrs. Worting said.

"We want to know if anyone has come to buy some sleeping draught recently," Elizabeth said. She would not talk about the arsenic yet.

"I cannot tell you that."

"What do you mean, you cannot tell us that?" Darcy said.

"Customer information cannot be disclosed under any circumstance."

"That is a pointless rule," Elizabeth argued.

"Is it? Would you want anyone knowing about the medicine you use?"

"Well, if it is important, then yes."

"Well, you are an exception then. Like the man who just left, he bought medicine to please his woman."

"But you just told us about him. Why can't you help us?" Elizabeth said.

"When did I tell you what?" Mrs Worting said with a sly glint.

"You are very obtuse."

"I am within my rights. If you do not like it, then leave."

"Is it possible to purchase that information?" Darcy changed tactics.

"I am an old woman. Money does not entice me." Her eyes however focused on Darcy.

"A young woman's life is at risk." Elizabeth said.

"I do not care for any young woman. You may leave now."

"Let us go, Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Worting is clearly in cahoots with the person who bought the medicine that killed Mr. Wickham. We shall get the magistrate to come for her."

"Nonsense, my sleeping draught kills nobody"

"When it was used together with arsenic, it killed a militiaman in Netherfield, an estate near Meryton." Darcy said, sternly.

"I know nobody from Netherfield or Meryton," Mrs. Worting dismissed the couple but she continued to stare at him. Darcy and Elizabeth walked out of the shop and found Bingley's carriage waiting for them outside, instead of at an inn.

"Sir, the inn is chock-full of racegoers and the stables is packed. We saw Amelia waiting outside the shop and decided to come here to wait for you. I hope it is acceptable."

Darcy nodded his head and handed the maid and Elizabeth into the carriage. He thought it strange that Mrs. Worting gawked at him in such a manner. He turned to look at the shop once final time. Through the window of the shop, Darcy noticed the herb woman was in fact staring at Bingley's carriage with a frown.


	18. Don't touch it!

A.N. I came back from three weeks away. Thank you for your continuous support. Writing time-travel is much more difficult than I thought. I muddle through and hopefully, I will bring you to a satisfying conclusion of the story within the next few weeks.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Darcy again asked the coachman to stop about one mile from their destination. This time it was for Longbourn. He walked with Elizabeth the rest of the way. The maid followed them as a chaperone. He wanted to discuss with Elizabeth about the herb woman and the night of the murder.

"What did you make of Mrs. Worting?" Darcy asked Elizabeth.

"She is clearly hiding something. She said her sleeping draught kills nobody. That could mean she sold some sleeping draught recently or that her arsenic could kill. And then she kept staring out of the windows."

"You notice that as well? I believe she might have recognized Bingley's carriage."

Elizabeth nodded her head. "That was my thought as well. But which person in Jane's household wanted Mr. Wickham dead?"

"Can you tell me everything about what happened that night right before Wickham's death? I was not on that side of the room at first. I would like to gather as much information as possible before Colonel Fitzwilliam arrives to help." Darcy then listened carefully as Elizabeth recounted the evening.

"Did you know if Sir William or his men had interviewed Anne or Lady Catherine?" Darcy frowned.

"No," Elizabeth said. "I saw Her Ladyship left via the French door when you and Charles were trying to revive Mr. Wickham. It was well before Sir William's men blocked all the exits. I think Miss de Bourgh left even earlier than that."

"I talked to Lady Catherine afterwards. She said she had a headache from the loud screams and stench of Wickham's vomit and thus left. She did not mention Anne was there or if either of them had talked to Sir William. I was unable to talk to Anne since that evening. She has not been well, according to my Aunt."

Darcy frowned as he remembered the conversation with Lady Catherine. He hoped her Aunt was not involved with the death of Wickham! Darcy never thought about that possibility as she was his Aunt. He talked to her just because he tried to do a thorough task to collect all the vital information independently. He hoped the facts would be of use when the Colonel arrived or if the unfortunate events of the trial of Miss Mary took place. Surely there was no motive for Lady Catherine to kill Wickham. Darcy wondered if his Aunt still remembered Wickham or met the scoundrel since he had left Pemberley. Had Aunt Catherine summoned the apothecary or the doctor for Anne? He must remember to talk to Lady Catherine about it later on. In the meantime, he continued to ask Elizabeth. "How many wine glasses did the magistrate collect as evidence?"

"I did not see that," Elizabeth shook her head and said. "but Kitty told me Sir William's men collected three wine glasses. I asked everyone in Longbourn what they remembered about the event, to help Mary's defence."

"That makes the two of us. I have been doing that myself and I have also asked my valet Winston to do the same below stairs in Netherfield."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy!" Elizabeth said in such a soft and tender voice that Darcy would dearly love to hold her hands and turn the conversation to more pleasant topics. But Miss Mary's life was at risk here. He vowed to stay focus.

"Who did the three glasses belong to?"

"I brought Lady Catherine a drink which she put down. Miss Bingley gave me a drink which Mr. Wickham took from me."

"That accounted for two wine glasses only."

"Yes. If I remember correctly, the side table beside Her Ladyship did not have anything but a fan on it when Lady Catherine put down the drink I brought to her."

"Did you see Wickham drink from the glass Miss Bingley had given you?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I did not know. I have moved away from the table by then. You are not suspecting Miss Bingley, are you? What motive would Miss Bingley have to kill Mr. Wickham?"

Darcy stared at Elizabeth and said with emotion, "Jealousy of my affection for you?"

Elizabeth blushed. "You mean Miss Bingley wants to kill me?"

"Bingley has heard about the herb woman in Walthamstow from someone within Netherfield. I am trying to keep an open mind and will not rule out Miss Bingley yet. We do not know which wine glass contained the arsenic. It could be the third glass." Darcy continued. "How about people who were last seen with Wickham?"

"I think Miss de Bourgh, Lady Catherine and Mary," Elizabeth replied.

Further discussion of the night of the murder came to an end as the party arrived at Longbourn. Darcy spoke briefly with Mr. Bennet and bid the family goodbye. Elizabeth saw him off. Before they walked out to the portico, Darcy squeezed Elizabeth's hands, gazed at her intensely and raised her hands for a kiss.

"Goodbye, Elizabeth. I shall not rest until Miss Mary is free." His voice was raspy and his eyes were like a dark deep lake.

Elizabeth caressed his cheek with her fingers. The coarseness of his skin sent tingles down her body. She replied with an equally hoarse voice, "Thank you, Mr. Darcy."

Darcy released Elizabeth's hands abruptly, walked out and boarded the Bingley carriage. He turned his head to focus on Elizabeth's lone figure at Longbourn until he could not see her anymore. As the carriage trotted along, his mind was full of the tasks ahead. Still, his heart was filled with emotions he saw in Elizabeth's eyes.

~0~

Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived with another officer in Netherfield the next morning. After the travelers washed off the dust, a hot breakfast was brought into Bingley's study for them.

"Colonel Frank Lushington," Richard introduced the officer to Darcy and Bingley. They asked not to be announced to the others of the house yet, except to Mrs. Bingley. The Hursts and Miss Bingley were still abed, unaware of the arrivals of the two guests. The de Bourghs were indisposed and stayed at their bedchambers.

To save time, the visitors preferred to discuss the matter with the gentlemen while they were eating.

"Sorry for the delay in returning," Richard said to Darcy. "I finished the business in London earlier but locating Lushington took slightly longer."

Richard then turned to Bingley and said, "Darcy wrote that we would need reinforcement. He asked me to find someone who could get Colonel Forster involved, due to Sir William's high-handed handling of the matter. Lushington has been a military lawyer for some years. He has served in the Continent. He is on injury leave at the moment."

Lusington pointed to his limped left hand and said in a matter of fact tone, "I had a happy encounter with a French bullet."

"Sorry to hear about your injury," Bingley said. "But that is a brilliant idea, Darcy, to force Colonel Forster's hands!"

Lushington nodded his head. "Since the victim Lieutenant George Wickham was a militia, we can talk to Colonel Forster, his commanding officer, to request he be involved in the investigation. That will make sure this local character, Sir William, acts properly. It will also give me access to the interview notes and evidence. I can re-examine them more thoroughly and with a fair mind."

"Do you think Colonel Forster will have any objection inserting himself into the local magistrate's affairs?" Bingley said, happy that Darcy came up with the idea but still worried about anything that could jeopardise the release of Miss Mary.

"Leave that to me," Lushington said. "I will use the relevant military formalities to persuade Colonel Forster. Failing that, Richard said I have some other inducements at my disposal."

"Definitely," Darcy stated. "Miss Mary is innocent and I shall put up the necessary funds for your 'persuasion' if required."

"Me too," Bingley added. "Mary is my sister in law, after all."

"Let us hope we do not need that. Now before Richard and I meet with Colonel Forster, what can you tell me about the night of the murder?"

Lusington made notes as he listened to Darcy and Bingley recounted the events on that fateful evening. Darcy consulted his notes. He and his valet had been busy collecting intelligence after Sir William had arrested Miss Mary. He also added the information mentioned by Elizabeth and their visit to the herb woman in Walthamstow. The only piece of news Darcy decided to withhold for the moment was the presence of Anne at the party. He did not want Sir William to somehow get hold of the information, through Lushington, and interrogate Anne. Darcy's cousin was in a delicate condition, both physically and mentally. Darcy had extracted an agreement from Elizabeth as well, to keep silent about it if she was questioned. He hoped Miss Mary would not say a word about it to Sir William yet. He would tell Richard privately.

"When was Mary introduced to Aunt Catherine?" Colonel Fitzwilliam interrupted. "Why did Mary stay by our Aunt's side all by herself?"

"They could have been introduced at the party and Miss Mary stayed by Aunt Catherine's side for your sake. After all, she and you are courting." Darcy replied. Trust Richard to ask the right but sensitive question! Darcy must gesture to Richard to desist in this line of questioning until they could talk.

"I remember seeing Elizabeth and Caroline with Mary, Wickham and Lady Catherine before that," Bingley jumped in. "And there was another person by the French door, but I did not see him."

"Or her," Lushington murmured. Darcy twisted his signet ring, hoping the other men moved on to other topics.

"Did you note down the witnesses Sir William interviewed, seeing that you seem to have started the investigation already, Mr. Darcy." Lushington asked.

Darcy sighed with relief on the change of topic. "If Winston, my valet, and I are correct, Sir William was very hasty. His men interviewed only a dozen servants while Sir William even less. He made the arrest immediately after talking to just three witnesses."

"Who did the magistrate interviewed?" Richard asked with his fists tight.

"Miss Gertrude Grey. She is Miss Bingley's friend from London. Mr. Tristan Boulanger, a Meryton local, and Miss Bingley." Darcy replied.

"In that order?" Lushington asked.

Darcy nodded his head. Richard's face turned thunderous. "Bingley's carriage seemed to be recognized by the herb woman and Miss Bingley was the last witness Sir William talked to! Could Miss Bingley kill Wickham and then blame it on my Mary?" Richard stood up. "I will drag Miss Bingley in here for interrogation now!" Before the Colonel could race out of the study to confront Miss Bingley, Darcy pulled Richard to sit back on the chair. He told Richard he had not finished talking to the military lawyer.

"Lushington, I came across an ancient book from some exotic countries about crime and punishment. It talked about a way to identify a perpetrator of crime through the evidence he or she leaves behind."

"Darcy, I don't care about some ancient books you read about. You always bury your head in books. I must see to Mary's release as soon as possible and Caroline Bingley is high on my suspect list! I want to talk to Miss Bingley this instant."

"Colonel Fitzwilliam, it won't help your dear Miss Mary if you choke Miss Bingley into admitting killing Wickham. She could claim the confession was made under duress." Lushington said.

"Surely you are mistaken, Richard!" Bingley jumped up and exclaimed. "Caroline may be a sharp tongue harpy or snob, but she is no murderess."

"Let us hear what Mr. Darcy has to say," Lushington separated Bingley from Colonel Fitzwilliam. They were glaring at each other.

"This book said that the ridges in each person's finger are different. It can therefore be used like a signature to identify a person. Since Sir William has the wine glass with arsenic in his possession, perhaps we can hire an artist to help. The artist can use a magnifying glass to draw out the pattern of the ridges and match them with the patterns of the people present near the table that night."

"That is a fascinating idea," Lusington said. "What is the name of the book?"

"I cannot remember it now," Darcy said, fully aware there was no such book. The idea of fingerprinting to identify a culprit came from Elizabeth's time-travel. He had been thinking about this fingerprinting method last night, since Aunt Catherine refused to talk to him and he had time. Darcy even checked Winston's fingerprints against his own, much to his valet's consternation. Their patterns were entirely different. Darcy then consulted some books on how to copy a pattern but could not find a suitable method yet.

"What nonsense are you talking about," Richard mumbled. "Do you think Aunt Catherine will allow an artist to hold her hands, examine her fingers and draw any pattern there are on her thumbs? She would be most displeased."

"Caroline will object to that too," Bingley added.

"And we have to consider other people who have handled the wine glasses, such as the servants and Sir William's team," Lushington said.

Darcy nodded his head. "You all have a valid point. But if the interrogation does not lead to a confession, it is still worth considering using this fingerprinting method. Perhaps we can use stenciling to obtain the fingerprints of all people you mentioned. This will minimize the time required to have the fingerprints taken for anyone nearby Wickham when he was killed."

"Urgh! Darcy, stop talking nonsense. First this fingerprinting and now stenciling! We need to drag Miss Bingley to the camp and then to Lucas Lodge before the magistrate! I am sure she is involved." Richard cried out.

"Be calm, Richard!" Lushington said. "Mr. Darcy, do you mean we can get Lady Catherine, Miss Bingley, Miss Mary and so on, to dab their fingers in say, water coloured with spice? Then we make an impression of the fingers on paper for an artist to compare it against the patterns left on the poisonous wine glass."

"That is the direction I am thinking," Darcy said. "But the artist can possibly give us a better idea of what works better with human skin or on glasses, to obtain the fingerprints."

"Great!" Lushington said. "I am open to this idea, as long as what you said from this ancient text is really true, that we all have unique patterns on our fingers. Richard, let us go to Colonel Forster now."

"What about Miss Bingley? Shouldn't you interview her first?" Richard insisted.

"No, let us establish our authority on this case first. Then we examine the notes Sir William has collected. If he arrested Miss Mary prematurely, we may not even need to interview Miss Bingley to get Miss Mary released. But of course, we will eventually interview Miss Bingley as one of the possible suspects for killing Wickham."

Richard grumbled but nodded his head reluctantly.

"One word, though, Mr. Bingley," Lushington turned to warn Bingley. "I understand you love your sister. But please do not breathe one word of our discussion just now to Miss Bingley or anyone else."

"But…"

"We did not want her to prepare her answers or flee the country."

"That is totally absurd! Caroline is not involved and she will not flee the country." Bingley exclaimed as he turned to look at Darcy for his support.

Darcy could not offer his support for Bingley, regarding Miss Bingley's innocence. He shrugged his shoulders. Bingley sat down slowly.

"The same applies to you, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy. Please reframe from discussing this with Lady Catherine."

"Now you are crazy, Lushington," Richard protested. "Why would my aunt want to kill Wickham?"

"I do not know but I intend to find out the truth."

"I brought you to Hertfordshire, surely you cannot help Sir William to point his fingers to my relative."

"If your relative truly kills someone, I have a duty to bring her to justice."

"Richard, let it be," Darcy said. "Lushington is right. We have to allow him to do his job fairly. We should be open-minded and not exclude Miss Bingley or Lady Catherine from the suspects list."

"Next, you will say my Mary is really the murderess," Richard mumbled.

"See what you will say if Elizabeth is suspected of murder," Bingley murmured.

The party of men then went their separate way. Colonels Fitzwilliam and Lushington left to visit Colonel Forster. Bingley went to join his wife. Darcy decided to go for a ride.

~0~

Darcy raced his horse away from Netherfield with no destination in mind. He longed to go to Longbourn and discuss the early meeting at Netherfield with Elizabeth. However, he decided to comply with Lushington's request, at least for the moment. Darcy galloped hard and soon unwittingly found himself near Oakham Mount. He spied someone walking across the slope. Surely that could not be Elizabeth, still intending to cross to the future to see Lucy Hill! Darcy jumped down from his horse and ran towards the person.

Elizabeth was at the entrance of the pit, staring down it as though at the mouth of a great beast. This frightened Darcy and he shouted her name. But she did not seem to hear him from a distance and climbed down the pit. Darcy's heart sank. He ran as fast as he could and followed Elizabeth down the pit. By the time he walked through the dark tunnel and reached Elizabeth, she was standing inside the cave. She had a small torch in one of her hands and a small package in another. The eerie silence and shadow covering Elizabeth gave Darcy a chill.

"Mr. Darcy, what are you doing here?" she said, shocked by his sudden appearance.

"You cannot leave Elizabeth! I am here to convince you to stay."

"What do you mean? I am not leaving."

Darcy was so frantic that he did not hear Elizabeth clearly. "Elizabeth, please come back with me. You promised you would trust me and I am assuring you that Miss Mary will be alright."

"You are not listening to me," Elizabeth said.

"Where is this time machine you have been talking about? This place is dark and there might be dangerous creatures here. Stop this and let us leave."

Suddenly another voice was heard in the tunnel. "Mr. Darcy, are you well?" Darcy recognized the voice of Tuttle, Richard's batsman. Darcy was about to turn to call out to him.

"Mr. Darcy, you are not …" Elizabeth said.

Just then, an orange beam appeared and blinded them for a moment. The parasol-like thing, in gold, emerged, span and spewed out many rays of light. Darcy squinted his eyes to peer at the glow, marveled by its magnificence. As if in a truce, he stepped forward and raised his hand.

"Do not touch it!" Elizabeth yelled out loud.

Darcy heard her warning a moment too late. His right hand brushed the ice-cold surface of the strange thing. Darcy felt his left hand grabbed by someone and heard a loud cry by Tuttle. Before Darcy could withdraw his right hand, a powerful feeling of euphoria swept through him and he felt lost in the bliss of the moment. He opened his eyes and noticed the swirling lights with a surreal glow. To his surprise, he found that he was floating and Elizabeth was holding his hand tightly, drifting just as he was on the air. Then everything went black.


	19. A carriage cut in half

A.N. Thank you, Nanciellen, Liysyl, Mariantoinette, Colleen, Happy Lizzy, Gabyhyatt, Joan and Kiwipride for the review. I love to read them! Now you and other readers can see if Darcy and Elizabeth are going to the past or the future. Happy reading and remember to comment. I need your encouragement.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Darcy moaned as every muscle in his body ached. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Blinking several times, he finally adjusted to the blackness and reckoned that he was still inside a cave. The same one where Elizabeth had gone into. The thought of Elizabeth in danger sent him into a panic. He bolted up, despite the pain, and looked around the surrounding. To his immense relief, Elizabeth was still holding his hand, without him realizing it. But she was unconscious, lying diagonally from him.

He crawled to her side and felt for her breath. She was alive!

"Elizabeth, wake up!" Darcy patted her cheek gently and called out to her. Then he cradled her head and rubbed her neck and shoulders. "Please Elizabeth, wake up, are you injured?"

"It hurts," Elizabeth groaned and her eyes fluttered. "Mr. Darcy!"

"What happened? Are you injured?"

She edged away from Darcy's embrace and shook her head. "No, I don't think I am injured but my shoulders, hands and legs ache."

"Me too, like every bone in my body were shaken loose. What happened with the parasol-like thing and the blinding lights?"

"Oh, no!" Elizabeth mumbled. "You must have sparked off the time machine."

Inside the dark cave, Darcy stared at Elizabeth's dazzling eyes with astonishment. "You mean we have time travelled? To 1892? To Washington, America?" Darcy uttered the words slowly.

"Most probably."

He could not or would not believe it. He shook his head. "Can we wait here, inside the cave, for the time machine to appear again, so we can return to our time?"

"Last time, I had to wait for three months."

"Three months! But I have not told Georgiana or Richard. They would be frantic without knowing where I am."

"Me either, Papa and Jane will be worried. And we disappear together this time. Think of the rumours! And Mary! How can we get her out from the prison, when we are here?"

"Did you not choose to be here?" Darcy asked. "I thought you were going to leave your family and me again and go to the future."

"No, I was only going to put a letter there for Lucy, to ask about the fingerprinting." Elizabeth felt around the floor of the cave. "Oh, I must have lost the package. I wrapped it with oilskin, like what I did with my diary, hoping it could survive the time travel to reach Lucy."

"I am sorry, Elizabeth, for not listening to you earlier and for touching the time machine. Now, we are stuck here at another time."

Elizabeth grabbed his hand again and squeezed it. "It is alright. At least we are together."

Elizabeth inched closer to Darcy and soon she was leaning into him with Darcy's arm around her in a mildly protective embrace. If he was not sure of it before, he was sure now, Darcy was completely and irredeemably in love and there would be no helping it.

He brushed the wayward curls away from Elizabeth's face. Then he pressed his lips to touch her forehead, eyes and cheeks, until he reached her lush lips.

"Elizabeth," Darcy murmured breathlessly before lowering his head and kissed her. He started out tentatively, barely touching. Slowly he tasted the tip of her tongue. He felt elated by Elizabeth's response and became more passionate in his kiss. Sucking her sweet lips, Darcy thrust his tongue into her mouth. Her hands squeezed his shoulders as she pressed her pert bosom against his chest. Darcy only stopped the heavenly kiss when he needed to gasp for air. He rested his forehead against her.

He wanted to tell Elizabeth he loved her ardently and asked for her hand in marriage. However, the future was unknown and they were in the unchartered surrounding. He did not want to force her to accept him, purely based on a sense of worries and desperation. He said reluctantly. "We should venture out."

"I think it is for the best," Elizabeth said huskily. "Lucy will help us."

Darcy stood up amid the excruciating pain and then gave his hands to Elizabeth. She raised her body gingerly, moaning aloud. They embraced tightly again when they had their feet firmly on the ground. He drew in deep breaths, intoxicated by her fresh lavender scent and her ample body against his. He forgot about the pain from the time-travel and basked in her proximity. Darcy wished time could stand still and they did not need to face the outside world. But it could not be helped. They could starve in the cave.

After a few more moments of silent embrace, Darcy released Elizabeth. Hand in hand, they strolled from the cave through the tunnel, hindered by the slippery surface and darkness. After like hours of walk, they saw some faint beams ahead. They picked up their pace until they could see brighter light. From afar, they could see that the opening was barred with a gate.

"Strange, there was no gate before." Elizabeth murmured.

A figure suddenly jerked out from the wall of the cave, giving Elizabeth and Darcy a fright. The figure stood there, with the back to the opening, blocking some of the sunlight from entering.

Elizabeth gasped and exclaimed, "Lucy, is that you?"

"Lizzy!" The woman exclaimed. Her mouth gaped open in time to see Elizabeth flew to her side and embraced her.

Darcy stood, a few steps behind, and took in the two women's affectionate reunion. His mind was in a turbulent storm. Ideas, thoughts and feelings raced in circles. Could it really be happening to him? He time-travelled to America, more than 80 years in the future?

"How? Why?" Lucy and Elizabeth asked in unison, amazed at seeing each other again, so soon.

"Please," Elizabeth said. "Let me introduce you to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, from England, the year 1812."

"Your Mr. Darcy?" Lucy blurted out.

Elizabeth blushed bright red and continued the introduction. "Mr. Darcy, this is Miss Lucy Hill from Washington D.C., America, of the year 1892."

"Delighted to make your acquaintance," Darcy bowed formerly to Lucy and retook Elizabeth's hand.

"How did you know I would be here?" Elizabeth asked. "Did you come to collect your herb?"

Lucy went silent and stared at Elizabeth for a moment.

"You are scaring me, Lucy. What is the matter? Are you well? Has something happened to Brenda?"

"I do not know how to explain it." Lucy rubbed her hands against her arms.

"Madam," Darcy said, trying to project a calm voice. He could see that Miss Lucy was clearly anxious, confused and hesitant, not the fearless and decisive woman Elizabeth had told him about. "Miss Elizabeth and I are here. We are with you. We shall endeavour to find a solution together if you have encountered some problems that made you here in the cave."

"I am afraid we are no longer in 1892." Lucy drew in a deep breath and said.

"What?" Elizabeth cried out.

Darcy would have blurted out as well, but he did not want to alarm the ladies. "I beg your pardon, Miss Lucy," Darcy said. "Where or when are we then?"

Lucy looked at Elizabeth. "Have you told Mr. Darcy about Mr. Caveman?"

"Yes, I told him about Mr. Ianu and everything."

Lucy drew in another deep breath and said, "Well, I was delivering herb to the National Zoological Park again today and miss you a lot. An idea came to me suddenly, so I decided to come and visit the cave. I wanted to leave you a letter, if it can be transported through time. Once I entered the cave, I saw Mr. Caveman here. Startled, I raised my voice and demanded to know why he showed us two different faces."

"Could Mr. Ianu be Janus, the Roman god of time?" Darcy asked.

Lucy nodded her head. "Lizzy said you are very intelligent and well-read. I am impressed, Mr. Darcy, that you can work that out based on what Lizzy told you."

"I did not know," Elizabeth murmured. "A Roman god?"

"Both Miss Lucy and you did not know that Mr. Ianu was a two-faced person," Darcy turned to Elizabeth, "right before you travelled back to 1812 last time. I have more time to review the events based on your retelling and think them through. I am sure it will not take you both to figure Mr. Ianu out soon."

"But you talked to a god, Lucy!" Elizabeth exclaimed suddenly. "I never would have imagined that it could be possible. That is truly fascinating."

"Remember, you talked to him before as well," Lucy replied to Elizabeth. Elizabeth's eyes widened and nodded her head fervently. "Oh, I talked to a god! How unbelievable!"

Darcy smiled at Elizabeth's childlike manner. He nodded to encourage Miss Lucy to continue.

"I will reframe from calling him Mr. Caveman. But it is better to think of him as Mr. Ianu, rather than God Janus. Anyway, I was way to impolite to him. I babbled about how I miss you and asked him a million questions about time travel. He let it slip that the gods were drunk when they created the world and there are six places like this in the world. He called it a worm something or another and he is tasked to guard them as he lost a bet. It sounded so ridiculous and irresponsible that I started raging and venting to him about how gods failed humans. They created inequality in society, made our people, women, and others suffer. He must have got tired of my ranting and disappeared with a show of lights and sounds."

Darcy stared at Miss Lucy with wide eyes. She was one fearless lady, even dared to put a god in his place.

"Then how can you be sure you are not in Washington in 1892 anymore?" Elizabeth asked.

Lucy blushed and said sheepishly. "Because I dare Mr. Ianu to transport me through time, to an era when our people achieved great things. Then I felt a vortex of lights and woke up with great pain like you said, Lizzy, after you had travelled from England in 1811."

"Then, where or when are we?" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"I don't know. My courage disappeared completely. I have walked out of the cave, unwilling to venture out of this gate, as it was never here in 1892. What if this was no longer Washington D.C., not 1892 and I am all alone in this strange world? I am a tad happier, now that I have you and Mr. Darcy's company. Why are you here? Did you decide to visit me and Mr. Darcy came along to keep you company?"

Elizabeth shook her head and explained the events that led to Mr. Darcy and her travelling through time.

"Oh no, I am sorry to hear about your sister Mary. I hope we are not stuck here for long and you can return to help her prove her innocence. Let us open the gate and explore the outside world. We can return to wait for the time machine to reappear later on."

~0~

"Gone? What do you mean, gone without a trace?" Colonel Fitzwilliam roared.

"Just like that," Tuttle flicked his fingers. "Mr. Darcy disappeared right before my eyes, among the light rays." Tuttle had returned to Netherfield, finding the Colonel outside in the stables. Tuttle pulled the Colonel aside and spoke with him privately about what Tuttle had seen in the cave at Oakham Mount.

"Did you check the ground? Is there any underground hole? Did the floor of the cave collapse, bringing Darcy down a shaft? There were a lot of lead mines in Hertfordshire, or there are still many."

Tuttle continued to shake his head as he waited for the Colonel to stop. "I checked the floor inch by inch after the lights were gone. There is no trace of Mr. Darcy nor the person with him. I only found this package." He handed a package wrapped in oil-skin to the Colonel.

"Who was it, with Darcy?" Richard tore the package open impatiently, without waiting for Tuttle to reply, and found a letter inside. He read out loud.

_"My Dear L_

_Here I am once more in this scene of worries and confusion. Since my return to L, I have been busy trying to put forward some of the ideas we discussed: reducing our spending and talking to Papa about how to increase the yield._

_Things made a nasty turn soon after. A greedy man overheard Papa talking about the Devil and me. Although the evidence showed that Satan's death had nothing to do with me, the corrupt man blackmailed Papa._

_Unfortunately, my sister M and I were seen arguing with the man before he was poisoned. Now M was arrested, accused of the man's murder. My sister is innocent! M just had the misfortune of being near the glass of poisonous wine at that time._

_The man of law is prejudiced against my family. He behaves most unhandsomely and engages no further investigation. I remember your story about the police officer who made the arrest of a murderess using the fingerprinting method. I confess I did not pay you the utmost attention at the time._

_I have now taken the extraordinary step to write you this letter, wishing you could enlighten me about the method to exonerate M. I shall place this at Mr. C/I's place, in the hope of it making through the lights and your visiting there soon._

_Pray write me as much detail and as soon as possible. Even though I am not without hopes that something may happen, from Mr. D's help, to prevent the trial or conviction of M, I pine for your reply._

_I hope B and you are all alive after our tearful parting, and that you pursued your intended avocation with success. For me, I vow to save enough funds to open a school for aspiring girls in the village soon. God bless you!_

_Yours very affectionately,_

_L._

"The letter is not dated. Nor does it say where it was written," Richard murmured to himself. "It is in a lady's hand. It could be left there in the past decades. But the content points to Miss Elizabeth's creation. Did you see her in the cave? Was she the person with Darcy?" Richard asked.

"I am not sure, as Mr. Darcy blocked my view of the person."

"Let us ride to Longbourn to see if Miss Elizabeth is home. Mr. Bennet can verify if this is her handwriting. If she really disappears with Darcy down a hole in the cave, we have to make up another story. Urgh!"

"Where is Colonel Lushington?"

"He is still with the frustrating magistrate. But thanks to Colonel Forster, Lushington is officially representing the military to investigate Wickham's death."

"But Sir William still refuses to release Miss Mary?"

"Not for long. I have high hope with Lushington."

"Did the magistrate allow you to visit Miss Mary?"

"Yes, but for way too short."

"How is your lady holding up?"

"Mary is as tough as a foot soldier. She was reading the bible, the only book the all-mighty magistrate approved for her to read. I told her about Lushington's help and this fingerprint thing mentioned by Darcy. She was more interested in the latter."

"What did Miss Mary say about it?"

"She pulled my thumb to examine the ridges and compare with hers."

"Ah, a tender moment," Tuttle smiled slyly. "I hope Sir William did not interrupt it."

"Hey, Mary and I were very serious about comparing our fingerprints. It seems Darcy might have a point. We have different finger patterns. Should I pull your fingers to compare with mine?" Richard said jokingly.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Sir," Tuttle put his right hand behind his back, to ensure the Colonel could not grab him. He said, "The writer talked about this fingerprint thing as well."

"I know," the Colonel said. "If the letter was really written by Miss Elizabeth, it appears Darcy did not learn about this fingerprinting method from some exotic books, but through Miss Elizabeth's friend named L."

"What did you reckon about the bit about the letter making through the lights?" Tuttle asked. "The lady seems very cryptic in her writing."

"I have absolutely no idea. She could be citing poetry for all I know. I think only Darcy could understand his lady!"

"I hope Sir William does not decide to interview either of Darcy or Miss Elizabeth suddenly."

"I hope so as well."

On arriving at Longbourn, Colonel Fitzwilliam asked for a private meeting with Mr. Bennet. The gentleman confirmed that Elizabeth had gone out for a walk after she had spent the morning writing letters. He also said the letter was in Elizabeth's writing. Mr. Bennet did not believe that Darcy and Elizabeth could have disappeared down a cave without a trace and demanded to be brought there to examine it himself. Colonel Fitzwilliam agreed, although he would persuade Mr. Bennet to stay above ground when he went down with Tuttle himself. He did not want the Master of Longbourn to come to any harm.

~0~

Darcy held out the gate and let the ladies went out first. Then he moved a stone to block the door from closing permanently.

"There is a plaque here," Elizabeth said. "Managed by D&H Foundation, 1630 Newton St, Washington, DC 20010."

"Thank goodness, we are still in Washington!" Lucy exclaimed. "And this Foundation is very near to where I live."

Darcy who had been listening to the ladies swallowed hard. Hearing about time travel from Elizabeth was one thing. But actually experiencing it was another. He thought about Georgiana and Richard, who were left in England in 1812. They must be worried sick about him and baffled by his disappearance. The only blessing in this was he had Elizabeth with him. Then he noticed another line on the plaque.

For an emergency, please call 202 466 8866. "What are the numbers for?" Darcy asked.

Lucy looked at Elizabeth. "I have not talked about that with Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said.

Lucy took up the explanation. "That is a telephone number. The telephone, an electrical way for people to talk to other people in faraway places, was invented in the mid-1800s."

"You mean," Darcy was amazed by this piece of news. "this telephone thing will allow me to talk to Georgiana in Derbyshire when I am here in Washington?"

"Georgiana is Mr. Darcy's sister," Elizabeth said.

"No, not quite far away as between England and America," Lucy explained. "But Mr. Alexander Bell, our inventor, has made a call from Southampton to London in front of your queen about 15 years ago."

"Our queen!" Darcy exclaimed. "Prince Regent did not succeed the throne?"

Elizabeth and Lucy continued to explain some of the significant historical events to Darcy as they walked down the woods. Darcy's head was filled with the incredible history, people and inventions of the next 80 years. He hardly noticed the change of the beautiful tree-laden landscape, until Lucy and Elizabeth stopped right by a road. He stared at the wide shiny black surface. It could easily allow four carriages to ride side by side.

Thrum!

Thrum!

Darcy turned his head to the source of the noise and saw a horseless carriage Elizabeth had told him approaching. His mouth gaped open. The new age carriage slowed down, instead of speeding past Darcy's party. It was flat, like a carriage cut in half in height. It hugged low on the road and in a shiny blue colour that almost hurt his eyes. Several American flags were stuck on various part of the carriage. If that was the way future people decorated their wagon, Darcy was not impressed. The glass on the door seemed to lower by itself without the coachman's effort. An African American coachman, in a strange thick coat, yelled out amid some loud music. Darcy frowned at the ugly sounds that did not come from a piano, "Want a lift? You don't want to miss out on the swearing-in." He had an elderly white lady sitting by his side. Both of them were grinning.

Lucy exchanged a look of alarm with Elizabeth and then darted a glance at Darcy.

Then a loud voice came from inside the carriage. "It is a day of momentous and historic first!" Darcy was sure the voice wasn't that of the elderly lady. The coachman turned something in front of him and the sound disappeared.

"Who is swearing-in as the new president today?" Lucy said, after drawing in a deep breath.

"Sweetie," the elderly woman said to Lucy. "How can you not know? Where did you come from? Are you performing at the parade? What strange costumes you three have?"

* * *

_Can you guess when/where Darcy and Elizabeth have landed?_


	20. Tears of joy

_A.N. Thank you, Happy Lizzy, Nanciellen, Joan, Gabyhyatt, Sacredwoman, GemmaDarcy, Colleen, Aethelfraed and Guest, for the great comments and suggestions. I really appreciate them. It keeps me working on the story hours on Sunday or stay late at night. _I know that my unbeta'd stories have a lot of grammar issues, as I am a non-English speaker. But t_o know that someone out there like my imagination and stories really makes me happy. When I publish the stories, I always get a professional editor to correct the mistakes. Hopefully, you will buy and rate my books as well. _

_Aethelfraed, thanks for the tips about how to describe African Americans in 1810s England. I will probably amend them when I get the story for publishing. As for Arsenic, I will see how to edit the previous chapters later on. It will be on my list of things to do. Now, here is a new chapter. All of you have guessed it right about the President. Happy Reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Bennet and Tuttle spent almost three hours near eleven o'clock pit at Oakham Mount. The Colonel managed to persuade Mr. Bennet to stay above ground with Tuttle by his side. He could not risk the elderly gentleman's life in case the murderer of Collins appeared again and harmed Mr. Bennet. Richard climbed down the pit by himself and explored the caves and tunnel. With the help of a cane, he had stomped and hit every inch of the ground and the wall of the cave but could not find any weakening that could have swallowed Darcy and Miss Elizabeth up.

After the fruitless search, the three men walked back to Longbourn at a much slower pace, feeling discouraged and dejected.

"Sir, did you know any friend of Miss Elizabeth with a name starting L?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked.

"Lizzy's best friend in Meryton is Charlotte Lucas, but she never calls her Miss Lucas. I doubt Charlotte is the one. The letter refers to some ideas they discussed increasing Longbourn's yield. It seems to be someone Lizzy met when she went missing previously."

"You are right!" The Colonel suddenly stopped in his track. "During my short visit with Miss Mary at Lucas Lodge, we talked about this fingerprinting method. She said something about Miss Elizabeth was very keen on providing for her sisters and herself."

"How?"

"Miss Elizabeth has written a novel called 'Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller' in the past three months. She asked Mary to comment on it before she sends it off to Mr. Gardiner to help her find a publisher. The method was briefly mentioned in the novel but not explained in detail. I laughed at the title and topic of the book, but Miss Mary said it was a very fascinating read."

"What are you saying?" Mr. Bennet exclaimed. "That Lizzy has travelled through time? That is the silliest thing I have ever heard."

"No, not at all. That is too fanciful," The Colonel said. "I think Miss Elizabeth might have met an inventor of some sort in the cave when she fell down the pit. A Mr. L who has all these ideas or knowledge about reducing expenses, increasing yield, fingerprinting and whatnot."

"I do not like your supposition! My Lizzy will not live with a man for three months without trying to leave or tell her family about it."

"L could be a woman. Miss Elizabeth could have been trapped there then. I do not know. It does not matter because I know Miss Elizabeth, like Miss Mary, is a virtuous woman. She did not say anything about being harm during those three months to Miss Mary. She only has her head full of ideas. The important thing is, she met Miss L in the cave, somehow with some use of lights involved. Maybe this inventor has a secret tunnel built there."

"But, you searched every inch of the cave just now."

"I have only one person and with a cane."

"Should we get our retired soldiers back again with the search?" Tuttle suggested.

"No, we cannot do that without raising any suspicions from Sir William," the Colonel shook his head.

"What can we do then? Invent another story to cover for both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's disappearance this time?"

"That is the only thing I can think of right now." Richard said glumly. "And we must keep someone here to guard the cave, day and night. When Darcy and Miss Elizabeth return from their meeting with this inventor, I would rather they stay safe from Collins's murderer."

Mr. Bennet shivered for a second. "I hope you do not expect the murderer is still roaming Oakham Mount, looking for another victim!"

"I hope not but I will not take any chances for Darcy and your daughter to be hurt. Tuttle, please arrange our men in a roster, to come here discreetly to man the cave at all hours. Select the ones who have their mouths sealed. You can brief them about what to expect but keep that to the minimal."

"Yes, Sir!"

"In the meantime, Mr. Bennet…" The Colonel then discussed the story they could use. Richard was more worried about the reaction of Sir William and Miss Bingley than that of Mrs. Bennet. He wished Darcy and Miss Elizabeth would not disappear together for another three months!

~0~

"Are you well, Miss Lucy?" Darcy asked Lucy, who had tears flowing freely down her face. Elizabeth was a few steps ahead, chatting to the driver of the horseless coach, Mr. Elders, and his elderly mother.

"I am perfectly fine. In fact, more than fine. These are tears of joy! I cannot believe that I live to see an African American become the President of America. It is marvelous that my people or mixed-race people can walk proudly anywhere in America."

"President Obama delivered a fine speech," Darcy lifted the corner of his mouth, "But technically, you are not alive."

Lucy laughed as she brushed away the tears with the back of her hand. "Lizzy said you are very uptight and arrogant. I didn't know that you have a sense of humor in you."

"I am afraid I did not show Miss Elizabeth the real me and have a lot of grounds to recover." Darcy murmured.

"Do not think about it too much, fate will play out and the answer will come."

"I'm not entirely sure how Miss Elizabeth feels about me."

"I would say she's in love with you."

"What?" Darcy asked excitedly. His expression brightened up, "Did she say something?"

"No, but I've seen how she looks at you and she allows you to hold her hand. She is very much in love with you."

"It amazes me that you think so."

"What about you? How do you feel about her?"

"I think it's pretty clear that I am deeply in love with Miss Elizabeth. My eyes cannot leave her for long."

"And that is the thing that is wonderful about the two of you. Even when Lizzy thought you were detestable, I could see a different side of the story based on her description. Now that you have told me what happened in the last few days since Lizzy's return to Longbourn, your actions towards her family do not surprise me in the least. You are a good man Mr. Darcy and I am certain you and Lizzy end up together. You're perfect for each other."

"Thank you, Miss Lucy, for your kind words. You have given me hope in an uncertain time. What about you? Would you prefer to stay in this liberated America? I like that Mr. Obama paid tribute to people of the past."

"_Because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents!_" Lucy recited what the President had just said, not long ago.

"Is it strange that I could still hear the President's words in my ears?" Lucy continued her citation, "_because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass._"

"Indeed not, Miss Lucy. It is a momentous day for your country and your people. But I am saddened by the history of the two World Wars Mr. Elders showed me on his movable talking book."

"The mobile phone, as he called it! What an ingenious invention, to combine the telephone and the picture books together. But Mr. Darcy, the past shapes our future, as President Obama said, we must - _choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness!_"

"Happiness, I agree, is more important than wealth. I can see that when I persuade Miss Elizabeth to spend the rest of our lives together, we can be very happy indeed. So you would rather stay in 2009, instead of going back to your time?"

"Despite the inequality of my time, I still prefer to return to 1892. I think it is only natural. We should not defy history and the natural order of things. I cannot leave Brenda and my students. And I have a even greater mission now. As President Obama said, _let it be said by our children's children that…we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations!_ I believe you hold the same attitude."

"Indeed, I have a duty to the hundreds of servants and tenants who live in Pemberley. And of course, my sister Georgiana is very dear to me. I hope the children Miss Elizabeth and I to be blessed with will say the same about us. But I am getting ahead of myself."

"What would you do if Lizzy wants to stay in the future?"

Darcy hesitated for a second. "I do not think Miss Elizabeth would do that. She loves her family and I think she marvels at the opportunity of bringing changes to her home and people around her, given the privilege of having a glimpse into the future."

"Not to mention to ask you to choose between her and your sister and family. I think your answer proves that you understand Lizzy much better than you think. One of the most important things I learn about my short marriage to my dear husband is that we were partners. To understand or learn to understand each other is very important to leading a happy life. Be open to Lizzy, do not shut her out, in the name of protecting her sensibility or her. Most women are stronger than we look."

Darcy nodded his head. "Thank you for the sound advice. Talking about the quality of women, I admire your courage talking with God Janus. When did you figure out that he is a Roman god?"

"Almost as soon as Lizzy had left with the time machine. There is no explanation for him to have two different faces. It seems he could project himself as whatever authority or comfort figure our minds conjecture up."

"That was why you saw him as a gentleman and Elizabeth saw him as a soldier. But were you not scared of seeing him once again in the cave?"

"I have already met him, with Lizzy, a few times before. If he didn't harm me then, I think he won't harm me in the future."

"And you see no occasion to ingratiate yourself to a Roman god?" Darcy raised his eyebrows at Lucy.

"Haha! I fawn over nobody, not even to you, Mr. Darcy, who was a benefactor to the school I studied in."

"Was I? It is rather confusing to talked about your past when it will occur in my future and has not yet happened in my present. Let us forget my fixation on this time continuum. Pray, tell me about my future."

"Lizzy told me about your name, quite soon when she arrived to stay with me. She mentioned your slight of her so passionately that I thought there must be some more to it. But your name sounded quite familiar to me. It took me a while to remember reading some documents about the history of the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Ohio. I was born in Ohio and attended that school. The college was one of the first to admit African Americans in 1835 and women in 1837.

In 1839, the college had some financial difficulties and at the risk of closing down. A Reverend Keep and Mr. Dawes were sent to England to raise funds for the College. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Derbyshire was one of the most generous benefactors. Your only stipulation of the support was that the funds you contributed must be used to ensure women and women of all colors and races to study there. I must thank you for making my study there possible."

"I hope that I make the financial contribution then not because I heard it from you now but because that is what my heart wants to do."

"I am sure of that."

"One thing bothers me when you talked about God Janus. You seem relatively calm about the high-handed manner of the god, instead of worrying about being transported here. And you are sure that we can return to our time, Miss Lucy. Why?"

Lucy blushed. "I might have stipulated my dare with Mr. Ianu quite narrowly. I don't want to be stranded in god nowhere places in the future for three months like Lizzy. So I dare Mr. Ianu to transport me through time, to an era when our people achieved great things and take me back to 1892 within three days."

"Well done, Miss Lucy! This is a relief. I hope God Janus will not mind lighting his beams and transport Miss Elizabeth and me back to 1812, England at the same time."

Lucy smiled, "I think Mr. Ianu can be persuaded to do so. He seems pretty fond of Lizzy and I, if I may say so. He seems to be quite tired of guarding the Gate of Time all alone. Only a handful of people had accidentally come across the cave. He has not talked to any of them."

"What happened to those people?"

"We are here!" Mr. Elders interrupted Lucy and Darcy's conversation.

"Darcys and Hills Foundation! Sweetie," Mrs. Elders exclaimed. "Are you all related to this magnificent organization?"

"Yes, through our ancestors," Lucy said. They thanked and fare-welled the Elders for giving them a ride down from Rock Creek, walked with them to witness the inauguration of President Obama and to the D&H Foundation.

"You seem very quiet," Elizabeth retook Darcy's hand and said to him quietly, while Lucy chatted with the Elders about some medicinal herb.

"It looks almost like Darcy House in London."

"Really? Did you think you came to America in our time to build it?"

"I do not know. Perhaps I leave an instruction to our descendants to do that."

Elizabeth gasped. "Our descendants? Did Lucy know something about our future? Did we marry?"

"I am doing it in the wrong way. Miss Elizabeth, I ardently admire and love you. Would you do me the greatest honour and consent to be my wife?"

Tears gathered in Elizabeth's eyes and she nodded her head vigorously, too overcome to answer him. Extremely out of his character, Darcy yelled out, 'woohoo!', picked Elizabeth up and swirled her around.

Lucy and the Elders noticed their joyful way and asked, "What?"

"Did he pop the question?" Louis Elders said.

"Of course," his mother replied. "and she said yes!"

Suddenly, a microphone was thrust in front of the face of Louis. "Did we hear an engagement here?" A young reporter with a camera crew behind her asked.

"Yeah, Darcy here just popped the question and Lizzy said yes!" Louis pointed to Elizabeth and Darcy, who were still embracing each other.

The reporter immediately signaled for the cameraman to pan towards the couple. "What a joyful occasion, Mr. Darcy and Miss Lizzy!"

Darcy released Elizabeth immediately on hearing the interruption but still held her hand.

"Congratulations, Mr. Darcy. Deidre Bourgh from BBC Lifestyle News London. How long ago have you planned to ask Miss Lizzy to marry you today at President Obama's inauguration day? What made you both chose to dress in costume, I'd say, from the Georgian era? Are you both visiting from England?"

Darcy frozen on seeing the strange machines held by the young reporter and her friends. Louise had told him earlier that it was a television, like a movable theatre. But seeing his own face on the small screen of the camera was surreal. Not to mention the familiarity of the smartly dressed young lady. He swore she looked almost like his cousin Anne de Bourgh. But he was breaming with the joy of gaining Elizabeth's hand in marriage. He smiled and replied as calmly as he could, "I am honoured that Miss Elizabeth has consented to be my wife."

"I see you stay true to the character you dressed up in, Mr. Darcy. Your speech is very Georgian. May I know if you knew your boyfriend would pop the question today, Lizzy?"

"Pop the question?" Elizabeth repeated, confused.

"Asked for your hand in marriage, if I may borrow the Georgian language."

"That idea has never crossed my mind."

"Ah, so he kept you in the dark. Well done, Mr. Darcy! Was the proposal a spur of the moment, or was it well planned?"

"I have the ring with me for sometimes."

"Put the ring on!" "Kiss the girl!" People had gathered around them and chanted.

Darcy took his mother's ring out from the pocket, looked deeply into Elizabeth's eyes. He said to her quietly, "Thank you, Miss Elizabeth, for agreeing to spend the rest of our time together, to be the mother of my children and to create history of our own." His quiet words were captured by the TV crew, amid thunderous cheers. He put the ring on Elizabeth's finger and raised her hand to kiss it, ignoring the chant of "Kiss her on the lips!"

"It seems our dear couple remains strong to their value of the Georgian time and would not engage in a passionate kiss in front of our audience. Well, we should respect the couple's wishes. But still, I'm very interested in how Mr. Darcy persuaded you to dress in costume."

"It seems right to honour the forebearers in a day of historical significance to people's future." Elizabeth said. Darcy looked at her, nodded his head and squeezed her hand.

"Well said. How did you two hook up?"

"Hook up?" Darcy frowned.

"Meet each other." Deidre was getting a little tired of the handsome man's pretence of ignorance about modern language. But this made a good story and she rolled her eyes and continued to act cheerful.

"Through a friend." Elizabeth replied.

"And how long have you known each other?"

"A few months."

"That is quick! How did you know that Lizzy is the one?" Deidre focused on the handsome Mr. Darcy. She knew her audiences were mainly women.

"Through Elizabeth's eyes. You can see compassion, liveliness, intelligence and beauty there."

Deitre sighed. "How romantic! And you, Lizzy, how did you fall for your Mr. Darcy?"

"He stands by me, whatever the circumstances and wherever the time."

Finally, the reporter and her crew had enough of the interview and moved on. After the Elders and the crowds left, Lucy pressed the bell of the Foundation.

The door opened and a middle-aged woman greeted them with a smile. "Welcome, Mr. Darcy, Miss Bennet and Miss Hill. Hannah Fisher here. I am the Director of D&H Foundation. It is an honor. I have been waiting for you."


	21. Too simple for your taste?

A.N. Thank you Liysyl, Happy Lizzy, Andreeaoana, Colleen and GemmaDarcy for reviewing. You've made my day. I'm not feeling too well this week. Sorry for the delay. We are stuck in the future for a little while. Dear readers, happy reading and don't forget to give me constructive comments!

* * *

[b]Chapter 21[/b]

"Oh, how did you know to expect us?" Lucy asked.

"I've been given a letter of instruction to expect the three of you today. It contains precise instructions."

"I see."

"Do come in. The downstairs of our premises is mostly a museum. We have workshops, conservatory, kitchens, etc. But upstairs, we have rooms for resident researchers and consultants. You can take a rest and ask me any questions before we go to tonight's ball."

"A ball!" Darcy grumbled and almost closed his eyes at the thoughts of such a punishment until Elizabeth squeezed his hand. Lucy burst out laughing.

"Mr. Darcy doesn't like to dance?" Hannah said.

"We met in a ball," Elizabeth smiled. "He doesn't like to speak with strangers. But he will be fine tonight. He can dance with us."

The thought of dancing with his betrothal made him happy. He nodded and smiled weakly.

"The President's Neighborhood Inaugural Ball is reserved for residents from Washington D.C. It is the first inaugural ball with free or affordable tickets. Our Foundation has purchased a few dozen tickets with additional donations to charities nominated by Michelle Obama, the new First Lady, for our board members, staff and ordinary members, past and present. And the letter of instruction explained what kind of things and clothes to prepare for the three of you. I am very honored to be attending the ball with you. Let me show you to your rooms."

"Who wrote this instruction letter?" Elizabeth said.

"I am not entirely sure," The Director shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "It was found among some of the historical documents of Miss Georgiana Darcy, the great-great-granddaughter of one of our founders' ancestor, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Sir, Georgiana was your ancestor, I believe." Hannah addressed to Darcy with the last sentence.

Darcy nearly blurted out about Georgiana being his sister. Luckily he did not. It seemed this Georgiana was his descendant. He turned to have a glance at Elizabeth, who was blushing. It was comforting to know they would have a great-great-granddaughter.

"We can talk more after you have rested. I prepared some snacks in the rooms and your clothes. Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet, this is your room. I was watching the BBC Lifestyle News live just now and learned that the two of you are newly engaged. I quickly made the changes so you two can have some privacy tonight."

Elizabeth and Darcy hesitated outside but Lucy pushed them into the room giggly and closed the door. They looked at each other with their face red with embarrassment. Hannah continued her bubbly monologue, showing them how to switch on the "non-stop candles" called lights. She demonstrated how to turn on and off the knobs on the wall to replace the need of servants to bring up cold and hot water from downstairs. Hannah's joke about the bathing chamber called 'shower' large enough for them to share. This turned Darcy and Elizabeth's face crimson. Inside the so-called 'ensuite bathroom', there was also "a loud mechanic valet" that Darcy could insert into the wall and help him shave his face. Hannah also showed them a similarly fascinating "electric lady's maid" that could dry Elizabeth's hair.

"This is the toilet where you sit and do your business. Sorry, I am so thorough in my explanation." Hannah murmured. "But the letter I found said that the three of you have been living a very rustic life in Africa for many years and I am to explain every bit of 'modern' convenience thoroughly or risk you injuring yourselves. You press here to flush away the thing, half or in full. Hmm, I think that is all, your clothes and personal grooming kits are in the wardrobe." Hannah spoke faster and faster as she saw Darcy and Elizabeth frowned more and more deeply.

"I will show Lucy to her room now, which is the last one on the right down the hall. Please feel free to ring me if you have any questions. I'm on speed dial here." She thrust a movable talking book to Darcy. When she saw him hesitating in accepting it, she put it in Elizabeth's hand. "I have saved a lot of books on the cell phone. You can read them if you cannot sleep. But I strongly suggest you two sleep for an hour or two. We will need to be at the Convention Center at 5 pm. You can leave the dirty clothes in the bathroom; someone will have them cleaned and dried while we are gone." She promptly walked out of the room and shut the door.

The room was silent for a few moments until Darcy spoke. "I am sorry, I can go and tell Miss Fisher that I need another chamber."

Elizabeth bit her lips and thought for a second. Then her eyes lit up with determination. "Miss Fisher has a kind intention. I do not want to trouble her again, seeing that she seems to change the room in a hurry after seeing us on the 'moveable theatre'. And we do not have a lot of time to bath, rest and prepare for the ball."

Darcy nodded and moved to sit rigidly on one of the chairs by the windows while he tried not to stare at Elizabeth gathering the 'bathrobe' and entering the ensuite. Finally, his eyes landed on the mobile phone. He decided to keep himself busy instead of thinking about Elizabeth bathing behind the door. He scanned the books Hannah said she had downloaded for them. He was absorbed in reading about the history of America until he heard the door to the ensuite opened.

He was unprepared for the beautiful sight of Elizabeth, with her mane of long curly hair free from pins, hanging lushly on her shoulders. Her form was clearly visible under the bathrobe. Her slender and ungloved hands and arms bare for him to admire, not to mention her shapely legs and toes. He swallowed hard and jerked up from the chair. "I shall freshen up if you have finished using the 'dressing room'."

Elizabeth nodded her head, shyly. He almost ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He winced at his ungentlemanlike action. But nothing could be done. After several moments of deep breathes and long time under the cold water, Darcy managed to calm himself. He found he had forgotten to take the bathrobe Hannah laid out on the bed with him. Luckily, Darcy found a long towel to wrap his naked lower body. He prayed that Elizabeth had fallen asleep. She had not. Elizabeth was in bed, with the cover pulled up to her chin. She was staring at him like she had been waiting for him to emerge from the dressing room the entire time he was taking a shower.

"You forgot your bathrobe," Elizabeth said huskily. Her wide eyes did not leave his naked torso.

Darcy held tight the knot on the towel and executed a formal bow. He then grabbed the bathrobe and dashed back into the 'dressing room' again. The thin material did not give him much comfort to stand in front of Elizabeth again. Perhaps he should stay in the bathroom until it was time to leave for the ball.

"Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth's soft call from the other side of the door was barely audible.

"Yes, Miss Bennet," He felt utterly ridiculous to be speaking to his betrothal between the door.

"Pray come out. We are engaged and it is just for a few hours. I think you need to rest here, instead of the hard surface in the 'dressing room'."

Darcy squared his shoulders and opened the door. Elizabeth was in the same position, with her eyes still burning a hole in his body.

"Come, I am tired. Let us pretend we are already married."

That was a bad suggestion, Darcy thought. But he complied. He climbed on the bed and moved under the blanket, carefully avoiding touching Elizabeth and closing his eyes immediately. The smell of her body was intoxicating. The bed was big enough for him to settle in without touching her. But he could feel every pore on his skin attuned to her proximity. If they were married, Darcy would not have slept so far away from her. He would have snuggled close to Elizabeth's curve and wrapped his hands and legs around her form. That was the wrong image to conjecture up in his mind. Darcy felt his arousal sprung to life and had to turn his back to Elizabeth. He tried to come up with the image of the overbearing Deidre Bourgh, Lady Catherine and Miss Bingley to suppress his ardent interest in the lady who slept inches from him.

~0~

An annoyingly persistent sound interrupted Darcy's light sleep. He thought he had only closed his eyes for a second. Then he felt the soft form of a woman moved below him and heard her saying, "yes?" "Oh, that late already? Yes, I will join you immediately. No, no teasing!"

"Elizabeth, who are you talking to?" Darcy buried his face deeper into Elizabeth's neck. Her sweet scent made him forget the surrounding. His lips caressed her soft flesh, as his hands parted her clothes and palmed her pert bosom. She let out a moan, making him rub his hard members against her ample buttocks. "My dear, where are we?"

"It is Lucy on the phone. She wants me to go to her room and get ready for the President's ball together."

Darcy felt like a bucket of cold water dousing over his head. He immediately released Elizabeth and moved to the edge of the bed.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Elizabeth," Darcy said. "I uhm…uhm, I should not have forgotten proprietary and…and..pray forgive me!" He scrambled out of bed, tied up the front of the bathrobe that had come undone during his sleep.

"Mr. Darcy!" On hearing Elizabeth loud cry, he stopped and turned to look at her. She had sat up on the bed, pulled the lapels of her bathrobe together. But her hair was in a glorious tangle. Darcy could not stop gazing at her lovely image.

"There is nothing improper, it seems, in 2009 for an engaged couple to sleep together before they marry. I see no harm to follow the custom of the future when we are here."

"I am not sure if that is the wisest move."

"Are you calling your newly engaged fiancée a simpleton?"

"Indeed not, but I am still a hot-blooded man."

"It is only for a short time. We shall be careful."

Darcy nodded hesitantly, not entirely convinced that Elizabeth understood the danger of them sleeping together before marriage.

"Now I shall leave you to dress for the ball. Are you all right without the help of a valet? Pray turnaround while I try to get off from the bed with modesty."

He nodded again silently and did as he was told, even closing his eyes for fear of glimpsing Elizabeth's form as she got out the bed. Once Darcy heard the door closed behind him, he slumped onto the bed with a big sigh. After several minutes of getting this mind off Elizabeth's alluring image, he looked around to find a written instruction, probably left by the efficient Hannah, as to where to find his 'tuxedo' for the ball and how to wear it. Darcy was amazed at how easy to put on the pristine white shirt and the black tuxedo. Even the so-called 'bow-tie' and pointed black leather shoes did not pose a challenge. He could not say he liked the simplicity of the 'cravat replacement' but without his valet, the bow-tie was a good compromise.

He decided against trying the 'loud mechanic valet' called a razor. Instead, he trimmed his stubble with a pair of small scissors he found in the bathroom. In less than half an hour, he was ready and decided to venture downstairs to wait for Lucy and Elizabeth. In the main room of the museum, Darcy found Hannah already changed into an evening dress. It was not as grand as the gowns worn by London ladies in 1812 but the simplicity and blue colour suited the Director very well.

"That is quick, Mr. Darcy," Hannah said.

Darcy gave her a small smile. "Thank you for making all the preparation for our stay."

"You are most welcomed. I was bit hesitant when I first found the letter of instruction if I should follow it. I am glad that I did. I am very excited for this opportunity to welcome the three of you."

"May I see the letter?"

"Oh, I took it home yesterday to make sure I did not forget anything but forgot to bring it back." Hannah said it so smoothly that Darcy knew she was lying. He narrowed his eyes. Darcy considered to call her out on her lies but decided against it. He did not want to be turfed out of the Foundation tonight and have to find another place to stay for Elizabeth and Lucy. Instead, he asked, "Can you tell me more about the history of the Foundation and its work?"

"It was set up by Lucy Hill from Washington D.C. and Edward Darcy from England in 1893, for the benefits of disadvantaged people in the neighborhood. Mr. Darcy provided the fund for the purchase of the first house which is where the museum is."

"More houses were purchased?"

"Indeed, as the projects expanded throughout the years, the Foundation organized fund-raising events. But most of the money for more purchases initially came from the Darcys. The houses on nearly half of the west side of Newton Street belong to the Foundation."

Darcy raised his eyebrows. Darcy remembered admiring the conditions of the houses when they walked down Newton Street earlier. Clearly, Elizabeth and his descendants were still very prosperous for many years. He was happy that they did not raise a gambling dissolute descendent like Wickham. "What kind of 'projects' does the Foundation do?"

"It changes throughout the years, depending on the needs of the community. At first, it did a lot of free education and employment creation works for African American women due to Miss Hill's interest. She was a Principal. During the two wars, the Foundation provided relief efforts in medicine, nursing, caring for injured soldiers and offered homes for war widows. Recently, we try to tackle loneliness and addiction by providing co-sharing facilities and social support for single parents of African American origin, gay and lesbian families, youths involved in gangs, orphaned teenagers with mental health issues and elderly people without families."

"Co-sharing?"

"Each building on the street, apart from the museum, is a co-sharing family. Members have their own apartments with simple facility but also shared childcare, kitchen, aged care, sport and recreation facilities. We organize activities within a building and sometimes with different buildings to encourage social interaction and support. We also offer coaching, counselling, career guidance and employment placement. In general, our members take one to three years to stand on their own feet and move out of our co-sharing facilities. The D&H Foundations have adopted this model of operation around the world."

Darcy's head was spinning, to follow Hannah's use of words and the extent of works in which the Foundation was involved. "Around the world?"

"Yes, we have six offices globally, Oakham Mount in England, Dalian in China, New Dehli in India, Rio Gallegos in Argentina and Tema in Ghana. I understand you have been living in one of the national parks in Ghana for some years. The staff at Tema said you have never visited the office."

Darcy mumbled vaguely about being too busy. He did not know any of these places except Oakham Mount. Hopefully, the Director or others would not ask too many questions. "Why did the Foundation open offices in these cities?" He drew Hannah away from her questioning.

"Strangely, you asked about that. I often wonder as well, since I joined the Foundation 10 years ago. I believe each of the offices started off with the purchase of some pieces of land with some caves in them and then the Foundation would acquire houses nearby to start projects. I was never able to understand what the use of the caves like the ones in Rock Creek are for. We never do anything about them, except to put a contact number there and lock them up."

"Ah, I see!" Darcy nodded his head. D&H Foundation had been buying land and properties to protect the time travel portals God Janus had mentioned to Lucy.

Before Hannah could ask Mr. Darcy more about the caves, Lucy and Elizabeth entered the room. Darcy's eyes widened on see Elizabeth in an elegant gown, in yellow silk with tiny flowers of the same colour decorating all over. The bodice was tight-fitting and the skirt flared out slightly. It had a strap on the right. Elizabeth's curly mane was decorated with tinier yellow fresh flowers, plaited into intricate twists and arranged on the front of her left shoulder, allowing Darcy to admire her creamy shoulder and the hair. She looked stunning. He wished they were alone in the room as he wanted to kiss and smell her hair, the curves of her neck and her shoulders. He would love to unknot the plait and ruffle his fingers to free her hair again, while raining kisses on her. He could not do any of that but stepped forward, bowed to her formerly, raised her hands and kissed the fingers.

"Your cravat looks very…interesting," Elizabeth said huskily with a jest.

"Too simple for your taste, Madam?" He whispered.

"Never, Mr. Darcy. You are way too handsome. I fear some futuristic Miss Bingleys will bound to dig their claws into your arms when they see you."

Darcy laughed heartily. "Futuristic Miss Bingleys, what an image!" He held her left hand and turned to acknowledge Lucy, who was wearing a floating dress in red, with straps across the shoulders.

"Miss Hill, you are gorgeous. I am honoured to escort three beautiful women to a ball."

"Well, as long as you promise to dance with Elizabeth and me cheerfully, I can put up with your occasional grumpiness." Darcy smiled at Lucy's tease.

Hannah explained that they would take the limousine to the Convention Center. When they arrived and were showed into the packed auditorium, Darcy was startled when an African American man in dark blue uniform greeted Hannah gleefully.

"Wow, are you our Darcy cousin from the wild?" The man said. "You look exactly like the old chap in one of the small paintins in our family room."

"Joe!" Hannah chastised the man with a frown.

Darcy was sure this Joe was a mixed-race descendant of the Colonel of 1812, as the man closely resembled Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"Mr. Darcy, this is our Deputy Police Chief Joe Fitzwilliam. He is one of our Foundation's board members and a descendant of the Fitzwilliams from Matlock, the United Kingdom. Deputy Chief, this is Mr. William Darcy, lately returned from conservation works in Ghana, a descendant of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. I believe General Richard Fitzwilliam and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy were cousins."

"Trust you to spurt out all the history, Hannah. Cousins many time afar, I am happy to meet you," Joe shook Darcy's hands and gave a loud clap on Darcy's back. "How is Ghana treating you? And please introduce these two beautiful ladies to me. I am not referring to Hannah. She is less a lady but more a workhorse."

Darcy could see the hurt in Hannah's eyes. Richard's descendent seemed to be as careless in his speech as the 1812 Colonel would sometimes do. He should remind this Joe later. He was glad for Hannah's introduction. He now knew who Miss Fisher thought him to be and that Richard had obtained the rank of General in his time. Darcy introduced Elizabeth and Lucy to him. After they exchanged a few more words, an indecently dressed white woman stopped by the Deputy Chief's side. Darcy's eyes bulged out on seeing the dress. It was made of transparent lace with gold and ruby beads covering only the woman's nipples, sex and hem. How could her father or husband let her out of the house dressed like this? The dress should be burnt and she should be sent back to the nursery!

"Darling, who have you found here?" The woman's strong nasal voice, dripped with fake insincerity, sent a chill down Darcy's spine. The Deputy Chief had the decency to blush for his friend's dress.

"Hi Carlina, this is my elusive distant cousin Darcy from the U.K. He lives in the wild in Ghana now. And this is his fiancée Miss Elizabeth Bennet and her friend Lucy Hill. You remember D&H Foundation's Director, Hannah Fisher. Darcy, this is Carlina Collins, my girlfriend."

The woman's eyes lit upon hearing about Darcy. She ignored the introduction of the other three women and scanned Darcy from head to toe. Then she stretched out her hand for Darcy and leaned forward. "Enchanté, Monsieur Darcy! I have heard so much about you from Joe."

Darcy's lips tightened. He touched the woman's hand, without bowing or kissing it. He then stepped back to hold Elizabeth's hand again. Perhaps there was another reason for him to travel into the future!


	22. A terminator?

A.N. Thank you Gemma, Colleen, Liysyl, Gabyhyatt, Happy Lizzy, Joan. Big hugs to you all! We are still in the future. Happy Reading!

* * *

**Chapter 22**

"Please excuse us for a second," Lucy came by Darcy's side and guided Elizabeth and him away from Miss Collins and the Deputy Police Chief. Hannah remained with them.

When the travellers were far away enough, Elizabeth said in a low voice. "I could not believe my eyes. How could the Colonel's descendent be in love with such a woman? Mary and Richard would be furious when they heard about it. What the world are we in for that…woman to be attired in that fashion and dared to appear in such a company? It is entirely disrespectful and shameful. And she is a Miss Collins, do you think she is descendent of that evil Mr. Collins?"

Darcy did not like to see Elizabeth this upset. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently rubbed his hand along her arm to calm her down.

"Collins is quite a common surname. There is no reason to believe she is related to Aunt's pastor. Pray keep calm, Elizabeth. We do not want Lucy to miss this historical moment. I can see that the new President and his wife have come out."

"Oh, yes, I am sorry, Lucy," Elizabeth said.

"You have no need to apologize. I understand your sentiment. I am quite scandalized by Carlina Collins's dress as well. But let us enjoy the moment from here. We do not need to socialize with her. I think Hannah is smart enough to know we have issues with that woman and will keep her away from us until it is time to depart."

Elizabeth nodded her head and they did just that. They clapped and cheered loudly as most of the people attending the event did. When President Obama and his wife danced and when the music continued after they left, Lucy swaged to the music. She took Darcy and Elizabeth's hands and twirled them around from time to time. Darcy smiled at the enthusiasm of the two ladies. He looked around the huge assembly room and marveled at the advancement people achieved in the future. The lights, the music, the warmth generated not by fireplaces and the images on the so-called television made people's life so much easier than his time in England. And yet, he was not sure he would like to live in this world if there were a lot of Miss Collinses inhibiting it.

His musing was interrupted by the Deputy Police Chief. "You don't like my girlfriend?" Mr. Fitzwilliam came to join the travelers alone. Hannah was keeping company with Miss Collins from afar.

"We do not know each other well, Deputy Chief. Does my opinion matter?"

"Did you not find Carlina a sex bomb?"

"If Miss Collins were forced to wear the plain clothes of a servant, her body covered up entirely, her face free of the rouges, what can you find underneath her surface?"

"She has a smart mouth, money and many good connections. Isn't that enough?"

Darcy was exasperated with Joe's lack of foresight. A smart mouth could only mean a sharp tongue. If Mr. Fitzwilliam could only admire Miss Collins on that alone, it implied the woman did not have other worthy character traits. "What kind of connections does Miss Collins's possess?"

"Rich and famous politicians and celebrities. She may aid my career when the Police Commissioner's position comes up."

"What does Miss Collins want in return for connecting these people with you?"

The Deputy Chief seemed annoyed by Darcy's question. "Why would she want something in return? She loves me."

Darcy stared at him for a moment until Joe's eyes lowered. "Miss Collins did ask you for something." Darcy thought so as well. He had seen enough of mercenary ladies in London to understand Miss Collins. "What does she want?"

"She wants me to nominate her into the board of directors for D&H Foundation before we marry."

Over my dead body, Darcy thought with anger. "That is her ultimatum to you? A position in our board for her hand in marriage? In your heart, you must know that it is not the right decision to make."

"Don't be smart ass with me, Darcy. As you said, we don't know each other. I am considering it. Carlina graduated from an Ivy League school. She could handle the duties of our board very effectively."

"How long have you been considering Miss Collins's demand?"

"Her request, not demand. For a year."

"If it takes you this long, there must be something bothering you. You cannot have risen up the rank of Deputy Police Chief purely based on connections alone. Your police instinct must be telling you something is not right about Miss Collins."

"I don't know. She seems too keen on our disadvantaged youth programs. I told her I cannot invite her in, even if I want to, because I need your approval. I guess that was why her eyes lit up when she met you just now."

"Me? Do you really need my approval?" Darcy raised his eyes.

"I used you just to stall her. I didn't know you really exist or that you will come to D.C. one day."

"Why did you doubt my existence?"

"Grandpa and Father talked about our English cousins, the Darcys, enough for me to know there is a William Darcy and that you are supposedly living in the wild of Ghana. But there is not one photograph or even Wikipedia's entry about where or when you were born or educated. How can I not be curious or doubtful about you?"

"Your ancestors talked about me?"

"Your language, Darcy, it is so ancient! Anyway, Carlina persuaded me to visit Ghana last summer. I couldn't find any trace of you at the D&H Foundation office there or in the national park where you were rumoured to be living. Carlina was royally pissed during and after the trip. She doesn't like to stay in savage places in Africa, not to mention, my lack of communication with you. She accused me of misleading her regarding the approval I need to nominate her into the board. You put me in a pickle for a few weeks. I only got back into her good grace recently. I'm extremely tempted to get into the Interpol's database to search for information about you. You know, my specialty is cybersecurity and I've done my worth of hacking in my youth."

Darcy did not quite know some of the terms the Deputy Chief had used, such as Wikipedia and Interpol. But he understood enough to be alarmed by Miss Collins's obsession of him, or this William Darcy from Ghana. "Now that Miss Collins has met me, you believe she will be interested in presenting her case for board membership to me directly?"

The Deputy Chief shrugged his shoulders. "How would I know? I understand criminal minds more than that of a woman."

"Did you mean Miss Fisher's mind?" Elizabeth came by Darcy's side again, after Lucy had struck up a conversation with another guest.

"What did you mean?" Joe Fitzwilliam's voice pitched higher with alarm.

"Was Miss Fisher your…girlfriend…before Miss Collins?" Elizabeth said. Darcy was surprised by her speculation.

"My relationship with Hannah is history and none of your business!"

"Mr. Fitzwilliam…," Darcy was going to warn the Deputy Chief about his language but Elizabeth put her hand on Darcy's arm to calm him.

"I can see the hurt in Hannah's eyes when you slighted her beauty earlier," Elizabeth said. "Although I did not know you and her for long, I can see that Hannah is a much more worthy lady than Miss Collins."

"You can't judge Carlina just by the clothes she wore tonight. She doesn't normally dress like this."

"Then you admit she sometimes dresses like this." Elizabeth stared at Joe Fitzwilliam sternly. "Do you want Miss Collins to be the mother of your children? Do you want her to dress like this and take your children to stroll around town?"

"What if I don't want children?"

"It is not just her dress. The way Miss Collins ignored Lucy, Hannah and I and flirted with Mr. Darcy shamelessly spoke meanly of her character. Do you want her to flirt with every handsome friend of yours, or men on the road, with your children looking on?"

"You are only jealous of Carlina because she eyeballed Darcy. I better go back to her and take our leave. There are no pleasing people I don't know." The Deputy Chief turned and left for his girlfriend, pulling a reluctant Carlina away from Hannah and to the opposite side of the room.

"Eyeball? The language of the future! I hope Mr. Fitzwilliam will not rebel against our words and decide to marry Miss Collins instead." Darcy murmured.

"He is considering proposing to her?" Elizabeth said incredibly. Darcy explained Miss Collins's ultimatum.

"Let us talk to Hannah when we return. I worry about Miss Collins's interest in our Foundation."

Darcy smiled at Elizabeth adoringly. "I am happy that you called it 'our' Foundation. You will be a Darcy soon."

Hannah and the three travellers returned to Newton Street not long afterwards. She asked them if they would like a drink before they retired for the night. As the party of four was about to move from the main room for the kitchen, two dark figures emerged from nowhere.

"Don't move!" One of them cried out.

All four of them froze on the spot. "Tie up the women. We only need the man." The taller man told the shorter one. Both men had hoods over their heads and pistols in their hands. Darcy could only see their sinister eyes.

The shorter culprit grabbed Miss Fisher and pushed her to sit on a chair. He then thrust his pistol back into his pocket, took something like a tiny white rope out and tied Hannah's hands behind her back and legs to the chair. Darcy eyed the taller man who was standing near Lucy. He looked for something to use and laid eyes on a sword on display with the statue of an English soldier. He could grab it to disarm the taller man's pistol. But he needed Lucy, Elizabeth and Hannah to be alert to the danger of possible misfire from the guns of the two thugs. They needed to duck at the right time. Could he risk that?

Before Darcy could further think through the situation, Elizabeth groaned and dropped to her knees. Lucy immediately swung her modern reticule and hit the taller man squarely on the jaw when he was distracted.

The shorter man turned, ready to fish his gun out from his pocket and aimed at Lucy. But Elizabeth jumped from her kneeling position, raised her reticule and hit the shorter man. Darcy grabbed the sword from the museum display and thrust it through the taller man's hand, disarming his pistol. The thug cried out in pain. Lucy lunged toward the fly-away weapon, grabbed it, turned and aimed it at the taller man. "Do not move or I will shoot!"

Darcy turned his attention to the shorter man who was raising his hand to hit Elizabeth. He ran the sword through the man's shoulder, stopping the man's assault on Elizabeth. The man swore and shrieked in pain. His pistol slipped onto the floor. Darcy stepped on it and pushed it across to Elizabeth's feet. She picked it up, targeted it at the shorter man and echoed Lucy's voice. "Do not move or I will shoot!"

"Now, kneel on the floor with both your hands up!" Darcy instructed, with his sword guarding both men. Once the thugs were on the floor, he searched the men for the ropes. He found something short, nothing like a rope. Hannah called out to tell him how to use the 'cable ties'. He also pocketed two knives and cell phones before tying the men to the chairs. Lucy and Elizabeth lowered the pistols and help untie Hannah when Darcy had the two men secured. He then pulled away the men's hoods. They both looked fearsome and foreign.

"Who sent you here to kidnap me?" Darcy had his sword against the taller man's throat. The man clamped his mouth shut, not uttering a word.

"Let me, Sir," Hannah said as she grabbed the men's phones to check them. "Hmm, this password is very long." She pointed to the phone belonging to the taller criminal.

"Ah ha, this one is only four digit. Hmm, I bet it is 1234." The shorter man turned away his head to avoid Hannah's stare. "I'm in!" She smiled. "Let me see. There are several encrypted audio recordings. Perhaps they will give us a clue. Let me call the police and they will deal with them."

"Wait, Miss Fisher," Darcy said after a moment of hesitation. "Pray contact the Deputy Police Chief. Please ask him to come here, alone. Remind him not to tell anyone about his destination. I believe Mr. Fitzwilliam's specialist skill is needed here."

Hannah nodded her head immediately and placed the call from the museum's telephone.

"Are you hurt?" Darcy asked Lucy and Elizabeth and both women replied the negative.

"That was a courageous move, Lucy, but dangerous," Darcy commented. "The man had a pistol in his hand."

"Don't worry about me. I had been a slave and fended for myself for many years before I became a gentle citizen of Washington D.C. I would not take an unnecessary chance, especially with Hannah and Lizzy's here."

"What about you, Miss Elizabeth?"

"Lucy taught me self-defense skills when I was with her. She said it is a vital skill."

Darcy shook his head. He did not know if his sword was entirely necessary. He left the women to talk, walked to the display of the English soldier and read the description there. It was the sword of General Richard Fitzwilliam! Richard would have his last laugh when Darcy returned to his time to tell the Colonel about this. If only he could tell Richard about the fascination of time travel.

They waited for nearly three-quarters of an hour. Finally, someone pressed the bell. Hannah wanted to answer the door but Darcy asked her to let him do it. He walked to the front hall with his sword in his hand. On seeing the Deputy Chief there on his own. He let him in.

"Isn't the sword a museum piece? Why are you holding it? What is the matter? Hannah wouldn't tell me why I am needed here. Carlina is royally pissed that I couldn't see her home and that I wouldn't tell her where I'm going."

"Royally…pissed…seems to be Miss Collins's constant demeanour," Darcy commented. "We have two intruders here."

The Deputy Chief immediately turned serious, especially when Lucy handed him two pistols. "Have you called the police?"

"I bid Miss Fisher not to make the call yet. The men intended to kidnap me. She found some secret…recordings on these men's telephones. I would like to know their intention or the identity of their master, before talking to the authority."

"It is not the right procedure." Joe murmured but did not hesitate to accept the unlocked cell phone from Hannah. He asked her to boot up the office laptop. Darcy keenly observed how Miss Fisher 'boot up' the silver metal book called 'laptop'. Mr. Fitzwilliam connected the telephone using a white rope to the silver laptop, which looked like a bigger size telephone. It took the Deputy Police Chief half an hour to unlock the 'recordings'. Darcy watched in fascination with how Joe and Hannah interacted during the process. The last 'file' which was recorded about an hour before the party of four arrived back at D&H Foundation was short and cryptic: "Double the sweetness. Take the man to Hive LC. Take care of the women. Location: D&H Foundation,1630 Newton St, Washington, DC 20010." A photograph of Darcy in his tuxedo accompanied the message.

The message, spoken through a non-human mechanical voice, sent a chill down Darcy's spine. Whoever the master of the two thugs was intended to kill Elizabeth, Lucy and Hannah.

"Look at the angle of the photograph!" Lucy exclaimed. "I bet it was taken by Carlina Collins."

The Deputy Police Chief was startled by this speculation. He did not dispel Lucy's allegation. His lips thinned and he kept working on the laptop.

"I think these are financial transactions," the Deputy Police Chief said to Hannah.

"Definitely look like that," Hannah replied.

"I will need the baby at the station to unlock them. Let me call a squad car to take these two dudes back. Darcy, do you and your friends want to give the statement to our detectives at the station or here?"

Darcy was alarmed that Mr. Fitzwilliam already had a baby before he was married. Hannah, sensing Darcy's hesitation, took up the explanation. "The Deputy Police Chief refers to his huge computer system in the police station as his baby."

"What a relief!" Elizabeth said. "For a moment, I thought you had a child with the murderess, Mr. Fitzwilliam."

"Let us not jump to any conclusion, Miss Bennet. The murderer who hires these two kidnappers could just be any guest who stood right behind Carlina."

Darcy was not sure if he could trust the Deputy Police Chief with this investigation. Still, he had no intention of visiting the office of the policemen. He needed time to read about Ghana and the D&H Foundation if he was to be interrogated by men of authority. "The hour is late and we are quite weary from the encounter. Pray ask your…detectives to come tomorrow to take the statement. Miss Fisher, we bid you goodnight." Then without waiting to hear the Deputy Chief's protest, Darcy hurried Elizabeth and Lucy to go upstairs.

"Why did we not go to the police station with Mr. Fitzwilliam?" Elizabeth whispered to Darcy as they walked up the stairs hurriedly. "I want to learn how to fingerprint a criminal and their murder weapons, to help Mary's case."

Darcy explained the reason as they arrived in their room. Lucy nodded her head. Elizabeth invited Lucy into the sitting room of the bed-chamber to continue the discussion.

"Darcy is right," Lucy said. "It may create questions if the police cannot find any record of the three of us. We do not want them to detain us and miss returning to the cave in two days. I am certain that Hannah knows the modern fingerprinting method. Of course, you can also read up about fingerprinting from the library books Hannah stored in the telephone."

"You are quite right, Lucy," Elizabeth said. "Do you think the Deputy Police Chief will maintain his impartiality in this investigation? He seems not to have retained the use of his reason. His infatuation of Miss Collins is beyond comprehension."

"Oh, my Lord, what if Carlina Collins was sent by Mr. Collins from the past before his death, to kill Lizzy?" Lucy exclaimed.

"You mean Mr. Collins wants to keep me from knocking him unconscious at Oakham Mount, leaving him to be stabbed to death in 1811, by sending a murderess to 2009 to kill me!" Elizabeth cried out.


	23. A confession

A.N. Thank you, Happy Lizzy, Joan, liysyl, Nanciellen, Colleen for commenting. You've made my day. As usual, this is unbeta'd. Please bear with me for any mistakes. You will have some answers in this chapter. Happy reading! Do remember to review! Thank you.

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**Chapter 23**

"Please, ladies, we should not let our imagination run rampant. It is entirely not possible for Collins to arrange such a lackey in 1811."

"Why not?" Elizabeth said.

"If Collins were going to know about Miss Elizabeth knocking him unconscious and leaving him to be killed, why would he still go near Oakham Mount?"

The two ladies looked at each other and nodded. But Lucy still wanted to make sure. She speculated, "What if Collins could not prevent his fate from happening?"

"Then what is the point of sending Miss Carlina to 2009, if he knew he would still die?"

"What if it was Miss Carlina's descendants beyond 2009 who sent her here?" Elizabeth murmured.

Darcy considered that for a moment. "That is a more probable possibility. If Miss Carlina was sent by Mr. Collins's descendent from another future further than 2009, it could explain why she dressed in such an outlandish manner. She would also have known about the Deputy Police Chief's relationship with us. But if her purpose of appearing in 2009 were to kill Miss Elizabeth, she would not have prevented Collins's murder. As you, Miss Elizabeth, is the 1812 one, not the 1811 Miss Elizabeth. Collins was already dead. Miss Carlina's mission could only be revenge for Collins's descendent."

Lucy and Elizabeth nodded. The three of them discussed several scenarios until they decided to retire for the night. Darcy offered to sleep on the floor outside the room to protect the ladies. Lucy said she would return to her room but Elizabeth did not want Lucy to be alone, in case Lucy was the real target of the evildoers. In the end, they agreed for Lucy and Elizabeth to sleep in the bed with Mr. Darcy on the floor in the same bedroom. It was not proper, in Darcy's view, but they all felt more reassured of their safety, by staying together.

After a fretful night, the three time-travellers woke up and went downstairs to break their fast. Lucy told Elizabeth about the condition of her dare with God Janus. This reassured Elizabeth about going back to the past in time to help Mary. Darcy and Elizabeth then concentrated on reading about the fingerprinting method from the mobile telephone while Lucy explored the museum.

"I wonder why there is nothing in the display that talked about Mr. Darcy and my life. Not to sound egoistic, I would have thought a museum about the Foundation established by Edward Darcy and I would have something about us." Lucy murmured after she completed a brief look around the display in the museum.

"You want to know when you die?" Elizabeth arched her brows. "I prefer not to know about it."

"I do not really want to know about it either. But it will be interesting to see what I will be doing in the next few years. I can then save my effort to decide what I should do."

"I do not think it is good to know too much about the future," Darcy joined in the discussion. "It will make us too fatalistic."

The three travelers continued the philosophical debate until they heard the sound of the front door and Hannah's voice announcing her presence. What they did not expect was the Deputy Police Chief in casual clothes, with his arms wrapping around Hannah's waist.

Darcy and Elizabeth were too polite to comment on the situation but Lucy had no qualm in doing that. "Oh, I see that you have right the wrong and kick your scandalized former girlfriend out and grovel before Hannah. Well done, Joe!"

The Deputy Chief grinned in a silly manner. Elizabeth, therefore, added, "you must not give in to Mr. Fitzwilliam's requests too quickly, Miss Hannah. That will teach him to be humble in the future."

"Perhaps we should all sit down," Darcy said.

"Too late for the advice, Lizzy! Hannah has bowed to my demand already. It's good that you had breakfast and dressed. We don't need to wait. Let's get the show on the road," Joe exclaimed and hurried the time-travellers out of the museum. "I will ring the pilot and my dear Hannah can explain."

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked as they sat inside Joe's car and sped away from D&H Foundation.

"We are getting married at Oberlin today. Joe was supposed to invite the three of you to attend our wedding but it seems he just kidnapped you."

"Oberlin, Ohio? But that was Lucy's birthplace!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Oh, really? I only know that the Miss Lucy Hill, the founder of the D&H Foundation, was born there. I didn't know you were born there too, Lucy. That is great, you can visit your family."

Elizabeth immediately knew she had misspoken. Lucy covered for her mistake by saying, "My family no longer lives there. Congratulations, Hannah!"

Darcy and Elizabeth also offered their congratulations to the newly engaged couple.

"It is nearly 400 miles to Oberlin from D.C. Do we have…are you going to drive there?" Lucy asked, worried about getting back to Rock Creek the next day, in time for the travel back to 1892 and 1812.

"No, Joe's family has a private jet. We will fly there. It will only take an hour and a half."

"Flying…jet…," Elizabeth repeated with wide eyes.

"When did you all come back from Ghana? I assume you did not fancy another flight so soon. But Joe needs to be back at the Police Headquarter tomorrow and I really want my parents to attend the wedding. We think a quick flight is much better than a twelve-hour drive, round trip."

"Why do you wish to get married in such haste?" Darcy asked.

"We have wasted over a year," the Deputy Chief said. "No, I have wasted over a year, by that piece of scum called Carlina. I don't want to waste another minute without Hannah by my side. And Hannah agreed to take pity on me."

Hannah gave a brilliant smile and nodded. "There is no waiting period to get married in Ohio. We have already applied for the marriage license online. We just need to go to the Probate Court Office in person and then we can have our wedding. I talked to my parents last night and this morning. They are arranging a ceremony for us at a hall at Oberlin College. My father is a history professor there. He would be honoured to meet you, he said."

"Don't worry," Joe added. "If you need to leave for London or back to the wildness in Ghana soon, the jet can take you back to D.C. anytime today. The jet is a bit small for the long haul so I'm afraid I can't offer to fly you all the way transatlantic."

Darcy exchanged an anxious look with Elizabeth and Lucy. They nodded reluctantly. The trouble was, Lucy, Elizabeth and he could not express their anxiety about air travel. They were all supposed to have travelled from Ghana or London to attend President Obama's inauguration.

Reading about the invention of airplane was an eye-opener. Darcy had learned from the Internet that it would only take people to fly from Washington to London in about seven hours. He had seen images of airplanes and London in 2009. There were so many tall buildings, cars and people. For one moment, he was envious of the air travelers. But now, even just to fly for about an hour and a half, Darcy was dreading it. Was it safe to be thousands of miles up in the air? He was not impressed by the driverless carriage of Mr. Elders. The so-called 'car' was loud and shaky, like it would break apart any minute.

Joe had quickly introduced his Jeep to him just now. It was more stable and quiet. Darcy hoped the circumstances of the Fitzwilliam family still allowed them to maintain a safe 'carriage in the sky'. Darcy fidgeted with his signet ring and asked the Deputy Chief about Miss Carlina.

Joe tightened his hands on the steering wheel as if he wanted to strangle someone. Hannah squeezed his arm and took up the explanation. "This is strictly confidential as Joe has been taken off the case due to his personal involvement."

The Deputy Chief grumbled as Hannah continued. "We are sure you will not breathe a word about this to anyone. Based on the financial transactions found on the two intruders' cell phones, the major crime team was able to trace them back to Carlina Collins. She was arrested shortly afterwards and her cell phone and computer were torn apart. Joe's IT team worked throughout the night and was able to recover enough deleted files to pierce together her criminal activities."

"It involves children and teenagers like those our Foundation vows to protect?" Darcy speculated.

"Yes. Carlina works with a global pedophile ring and helps those perverts from around the world to access children and teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds in orphanages, group homes, care facilities, etc. Their abuses were also streamed live on the Internet. Unfortunately, her background and connections allow her to access about nine big charity organizations in the country already. Carlina's group has their heart sets on D&H Foundation and it has taken them a year to get this close."

"We are here now," Joe said glumly. "Let us not talk about that woman until after our happy event."

"I do not quite understand what Hannah said about the ring and so on. But it seems the children protected by our Foundation have a lucky escape!" Elizabeth said, as she walked besides Darcy. "Oh, my goodness!" Elizabeth stopped when she saw the plane in front of her. Her feet felt heavy. "Are we really going to get inside that thing and fly up the sky?"

"Let us embrace the adventure!" Lucy joined them. Her enthusiasm made Elizabeth bolder and continued the walk. Darcy had the same trepidation but he vowed to be as courageous and adventurous as Lucy.

In the next two hours, Darcy had the exhilarating experience of flying in the sky, looking down at the clouds, the houses and land on the ground. The feeling embedded in his mind was indescribable. But when he was shown into the hall at Oberlin College and greeted by Hannah's father, a sense of past-life experience erupted. Darcy almost had his breath knocked out of him. "Mr. Paul Fisher!"

~0~

"Colonel Fitzwilliam, my men interviewed the servants and innkeeper at Kings Park Tavern. They did not see any carriage passed by on its way to London five days ago." Sir William said.

"Did I say Darcy go by a carriage? Oh, I must have been too distracted by my worries of Miss Mary. No, Darcy went to London on horseback."

"Colonel, did you delay my investigation deliberately? Did Fitzwilliam Darcy flee Hertfordshire because he is somehow involved with the death of George Wickham?"

"Be careful of your words, Sir William," Richard snared. "My cousin can sue you for slander when he returns. And make up your mind! Why are you holding Miss Mary if you suspect my cousin for Wickham's murder?"

"I am the magistrate and I am the one asking the questions. My daughter told me yesterday Elizabeth Bennet has left Hertfordshire as well. Mr. Bennet spurted out another fanciful story about him sending her to Dover to learn about some skill that would improve Longbourn's yield. Did Elizabeth Bennet abscond with Fitzwilliam Darcy? Did either of them kill George Wickham?"

"I must repeat, make up your mind! Why are you still holding Miss Mary if you suspect my cousin or Miss Elizabeth?"

"Sir William, I must concur with Colonel Fitzwilliam," Lusington said. He had come to Netherfield to give Colonel Fitzwilliam an update earlier. They were in Bingley's study when Sir William requested to see the Colonel. "The evidence to hold Miss Mary for the murder of George Wickham is weak. I suggest you release her and start the investigation properly again. I do not know your reason for re-interviewing Mr. Darcy. But an express sent to London to summon him back can easily be done. The allegations are unnecessary."

"I just need to re-interview Darcy. The fact that he left Hertfordshire without taking his leave already made him suspicious to me. He is rich and arrogant. He can easily ignore my summon and refuse to return."

"Sir, I strongly suggest you reframe from judging the character of witnesses or suspects without facts," Lusington replied. "when you are in your magistrate capacity. It will prejudice the investigation. If Mr. Darcy really refuses to return to Hertfordshire for your interview, I can alert the authority in London to arrest him. You can also contact a London magistrate."

While Richard wanted to applaud Lusington chastising the infuriating Sir William, he was sweating for Darcy. He had put out a story about Darcy returning to London on urgent business. The Colonel had sent off two expresses to Darcy House in London and Pemberley, urging the trusted housekeepers to send any men of authority on a wild goose chase. He was thinking of Sir Williams then, not the sharp-minded Lushington. The Colonel took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his browse as he heard a knock on the door. He was happy for the interruption.

"Mr. Darcy asked to join the meeting, Sir!" The footman said. Richard nearly leaped out of the chair with joy and relief. But he told himself to stay calm and bid the footman show Darcy in.

"Darcy! I thought you are still tied up with your business in London." Richard exclaimed, giving his cousin enough warning about the story he had circulated to cover for Darcy's abrupt disappearance five days ago. He stared at his cousin. Besides the dust on his clothes, Darcy looked to be in good health. He even appeared surprisingly happy and excited.

"All has been taken care of, Colonel," Darcy then turned to Sir William. "Sir, I believe you asked to interview me again."

"Yes, I..I need to consult my notes first," Sir William stammered, surprised by Darcy's sudden appearance. He signaled for Manders to check on the notes. Sir William did not, in fact, wanted to interview Darcy again but the magistrate believed something was not right for the arrogant man from the North and the impertinent Lizzy to be gone from Hertfordshire at a similar time. He had come to Netherfield, hoping to shake the smiling Charles Bingley up to nail Darcy or the Bennet girl for the two murders. But Bingley was not there, blast it! Instead, he was confronted with not only Colonel Fitzwilliam but the sharp-witted Lusington.

"No matter," Darcy said. "I have some news to relate, regarding the death of William Collins at Oakham Mount."

"Really," Sir William sat up again. He suspected Elizabeth Bennet on that but never managed to find enough evidence to support his speculation. He heard that Darcy was sweet with her. He believed the arrogant man would do anything to manufacture some evidence to protect his lady love. Sir William would examine it and prove Darcy wrong. He would then have the pleasure of arresting Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy!

"As you know, Sir William, I purchased Oakham Mount about a few months ago for its business opportunity. My men have been scouting and working in the area. They have uncovered a letter down a slope near the 11th o'clock pit."

Darcy fetched the letter from his pocket. Colonel Fitzwilliam saw that it was wrapped in oilskin, similar to the one used by Miss Elizabeth for her letter left in the cave. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Darcy. He hoped Darcy knew what he was doing. Richard knew that Sir William would not wait a moment to pounce if Darcy's story had any inconsistency or hole in it.

Instead of handing the letter to Sir William, Darcy handed it to Lusington.

"I object!" Sir William exclaimed. "Rev. William Collins's death had nothing to do with the military. Lusington has no authority to interfere with my investigation on that."

Lusington had not accepted the letter yet. He waited for Darcy to continue the explanation. "While that is the case, the content of the letter made me doubtful of your impartiality. Therefore, I request Lusington to handle it."

"He was brought to Meryton by your cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam," Sir William argued. His face was bright with anger. How dare Darcy question his character! "How would I know that Lushington can remain objective?"

"Sir William, I resent the allegation. I am a military lawyer. I have only one master and that is the King of England. I cannot be bought or intimidated. As a compromise, I would hold the letter and your man, Manders, can read it aloud."

Sir William was seriously displeased but a look at the physique of the three other opposing men in the room made him nodded reluctantly.

Manders read out the address first, "Pray send this letter to a London magistrate for me, Paul Mitford of The Tickled Trout, Maidstone.

"Mitford, Tickled Trout?" Colonel Fitzwilliam exclaimed. "Is that not where one of the captives of that evil Collins from?"

"Yes," Darcy replied. "It was a letter written by Daisy Mitford's brother."

"How would you know his handwriting?" Sir William grumbled.

"The man said so. But I have also requested Lord Metcalf, the magistrate in Kent, who discovered William Collins's captives, to come to Meryton with Mr. Peter Mitford, the father, to verify it. I expect them to arrive either today or tomorrow."

"What gave you the right to interfere with my investigation?" Sir William complained again. "And to invite a magistrate from another county!"

"Sir William, your confrontational attitude does not advance the matter," Lusington said. "Let us see what Mr. Mitford had said that required Mr. Darcy to request the authority of another magistrate. Manders, pray continue."

Sir William gritted his teeth at Lusington's chastisement in front of Manders. He vowed to take his revenge on these people, by making Mary Bennet confess to George Wickham's murder, with whatever means!

Manders looked at his master and continued hesitantly. "I, Paul Mitford of The Tickled Trout, Maidstone, confess to the murder of William Collins of Kent on the 27th November 1811 at Oakham Mount, Hertfordshire. I told you exactly what happened here:

My sister Daisy went missing months ago. Our Magistrate Lord Metcalf and our good neighbours searched for her, but Daisy cannot be found. She is a good girl. She would not run away. I left my farm work, said goodbye to my brothers and parents, and searched alone.

I followed every man and carriage my parents told me that stopped at our tavern right before Daisy was gone. After months, I found the strange one, William Collins of Hunsford. My parents remembered him. He dressed like a man in trade and got angry with Daisy. I found out he liked whores from the unspeakable alleys and hit them.

I asked more questions around the roads to Hunsford. Collins lookalike was seen. The man got angry and more women were missing and never found.

I arrived at Hunsford, saw him left. I asked and followed him. I arrived at Hertfordshire a few days later than him, saw him left right after hitting a servant girl. Hannah told me her story and why Collins was in Meryton. He boasted to Hannah about marrying the most obedient cousin and using her four sisters as slaves when their father dies.

I needed to find the evil man alone and made him tell me where Daisy is. Two days later, I saw him from afar attacking another woman at Oakham Mount. I ran fast to help, but the gentlewoman did not need me. She hit him back with a rock and fled. She did not see me. Collins had blood, but was not dead.

I worried about the gentlewoman and followed her quietly. She ran across the slope and fell down a pit, before I could reach her. I searched and searched but I could not even find the pit.

I gave up and returned to Collins. He had woken up, crawling on the ground, cursing many women. When he foul-mouthed Daisy, I grabbed his throat, demanded him to tell me where my sister was. He laughed and laughed. He said he would never tell me. Daisy would die for her sin. I shook him hard. Suddenly he had a knife and stabbed my chest. I punched him hard. He hit me back. I twisted the knife from him, stabbed and stabbed until he was truly dead.

I killed a man. God will punish me. I walked slowly to town. I wanted to confess my sin. But I fainted. When I woke up again, Hannah was there. She rescued me and covered my wound. I confessed and asked her to find a magistrate. I lost faith with clergymen.

She told me I better confess to a London magistrate than Sir William Lucas, the current magistrate in Meryton."

"Stop it right there!" Sir William exclaimed and pointed his finger at Darcy. "I do not have to listen to this nonsense anymore. It is pure fabrication. I am sure there is no such Paul Mitford and this letter is all your invention. You are rich enough to hire a forger to write this letter. You intend to help your mistress Elizabeth Bennet off the charge of killing Mr. Collins! She must have fought with Collins and killed him. And you hid her in London for three months earlier before she recovered enough to return to Longbourn!"


	24. Another confession?

A.N. Thank you, Happy Lizzy, Gemma, Liysyl, Joan, Nanciellen, Gabyhyatt, Colleen, for your constant support! Big hugs to you. I was deliberate, Happy Lizzy, to bring Darcy back to 1812, without explaining too much. But hopefully you will get the answers in the later chapters. Happy reading and remember to review!

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**Chapter 24**

"Sir William, for impugning Miss Elizabeth's reputation, I demand satisfaction," Darcy stood up. "Pistol or sword, at dawn tomorrow?"

"Mr. Darcy," Lusington interfered. "be calm. I will not allow illegal dueling on my watch. Sir William, you must apologize to Mr. Darcy now and promise not to spurt out inflammatory words of anyone. It does not befit an officer of the law to do so. We will continue to read the letter. Should the letter or its content proved to be a fabrication by Mr. Darcy, I promise I will put the full force of the law on him. I shall also make sure you receive the necessary monetary compensation as well."

"I apologize." Sir William gritted out the words in a shaky whisper, without looking directly at Darcy. "But I demand that the letter not to be readout. My reputation is at stake here and I do not want anyone to eavesdrop and then spread the falsehood."

"Then I shall read it on my own," Lusington waved Manders away. Sir William objected again but the military lawyer invited him to read by his side without touching the letter. Lusington read the remainder of the confession silently. At the same time, Sir William stood by his side, clenching his fists, with his face getting redder and redder.

"If the letter is genuine," Lusington said. "I recommend you, Sir William, as the magistrate of Meryton, to accept the confession of Paul Mitford, now Paul Fisher, and return a verdict of unlawful killing of William Collins. You can then close this case and reassure the people in the area of their safety. When Paul Mitford and the murder weapon are found, he could be advised to plea for self-defence if he ever returns from the New World."

"If the letter is not a fabrication," Sir William murmured.

"That can be proven when Lord Metcalf and Peter Mitford arrive either today or tomorrow. Now Mr. Darcy, let us move onto the murder of George Wickham. While Sir William seemed to have forgotten what he wanted to ask you, I have a few questions."

Darcy had sat down with his arms folded across his chest. He was still growling at Sir William with his eyes. He nodded for the military lawyer to proceed.

"Sir William's arrest of Miss Mary Bennet was based on the fact that she stood near the table where the poisonous wine was placed. Miss Mary and Miss Elizabeth were seen arguing with the deceased by a witness. As suggested by you, I tasked Captain Carter, lent to me by Colonel Forster, who is skilled in painting to dust the poisonous wine glass. I shall call it 'wine glass P'. He dusted it for patterns using powdered charcoal and made an impression of Miss Mary's fingers to compare. He believes the patterns are totally different."

"I know it!" Colonel Fitzwilliam cried out joyfully. "My Mary is innocent."

"This is rubbish!" Sir William argued. "Lusington, I opposed earlier to the use of this fingerprinting method and I object to it now. It is too flimsy to prove Mary Bennet's innocence. She could have wiped away any evidence of her holding the wine glass."

"There are two sets of prints on the poisonous glass P. If Miss Mary had wiped off her prints, why would there still be two more sets? It was a crowded party, the movement of Miss Mary traced by your interviews did not allow her to do so without anyone seeing her. Now, pray remain silent, Sir William, or Colonel Fitzwilliam may demand satisfaction from you for insulting the gentlewoman he is courting!" Lusington stared at Sir William until the latter clamped his mouth shut. Then he turned to Darcy again. "Captain Carter was able to compare it to George Wickham's finger pattern and confirmed that one of them was the deceased."

"What about the patterns on the two other glasses?" Darcy asked Lusington. "I understand that three glasses were collected on the table the day of the murder."

"Wickham's print was also found in another glass. I shall name it 'wine glass T' to stand for treble prints. It had two more prints. The last wine glass, which I shall call S for a single print, only had one set of print and it was not that of Wickham. That led to the purpose of my visit to Charles Bingley today. I would like to get Captain Carter to obtain prints from everyone who had attended the Netherfield party, including the servants. I need a guests list from him."

"That will take weeks!" Sir William mumbled. "And some of the guests have already left Hertfordshire."

"We can rule out the wine glass S, with a single print on it. We can assume the murderer is not such a simpleton as to wipe Wickham's print off but leave his own print," Darcy commented. "Hmm, Miss Elizabeth told me Miss Bingley had handed her a glass which Mr. Wickham took from her. We can safely assume that glass T contained the print of Miss Bingley and Miss Elizabeth."

"Is that right?" Lusington arched his eyes but did not look Darcy in the eyes. Darcy glanced at the military lawyer and wondered what additional information he had and did not wish to disclose at the moment. Darcy's eyes narrowed as he stared at Lusington with sudden understanding.

Right at this moment, Bingley asked to join the party in the study. He bounced into the room and exclaimed with his usual exuberant. "Colonel, Lusington, how did your business go? I heard you need my study to discuss some business. Sir William, you are here too! The footman did not mention about it. Oh, Darcy! What a surprise! You are back from London. Caroline will be happy to hear it."

"Yes, Darcy brought good news for Sir William," The Colonel jested. "He completed Sir William's job successfully and helped the brilliant magistrate solve the murder of evil Collins."

"Marvellous!" Bingley went to shake Sir William's hands, totally unaware of Sir William's red face. "Congratulations! So who did it? I must thank that person for getting rid of someone as vicious as William Collins from this world!"

Sir William did not reply. Richard continued cheerfully, "Darcy's man found a letter of confession by the brother of one of Collins's captives at Oakham Mount. Paul Mitford followed Collins from Kent and killed the monster in self-defence."

"Mr. Mitford was badly injured and saved by a servant girl from the unspeakable alley of Meryton," Darcy added. "They have left for America as Mr. and Mrs. Paul Fisher."

"I am relieved that he is not someone from here, although I am not sure if he is entirely wrong to do such a thing. Sir William, will you be sending out a warrant for this person's arrest?"

"If the confession was not a fab…if the letter is proved to be genuine," Sir William blurted out his usual rant against Darcy. He then changed his words when he remembered Darcy's threat to call him out.

"But Darcy will never fabricate anything. He is the most honest man I have ever known."

"Thank you, Bingley, for your vote of confidence," Darcy said, ignoring Sir William. "I have already requested Lord Metcalf, the magistrate from Kent, to help to confirm the authenticity of the letter. But we have moved our discussion to the murder of George Wickham. I believe Lusington may have proof that either Miss Bingley or Miss Elizabeth is the murderess of Wickham."

"What!" Bingley cried out. "It cannot be true. I thought Sir William suspected and arrested Miss Mary. Why does the investigation suddenly turn to Caroline? Why would my sister want to murder Wickham? And Miss Elizabeth? She may have a similar motivation as Miss Mary, but I cannot believe that Jane's sister can commit such an act. Lusington, you are wrong!"

"Well done, Mr. Darcy," Lusington said, finally looking at Darcy in the eyes again. "for figuring out the information we obtained by examining the three glasses. I was going to keep it confidential to surprise the suspects."

"I do not understand," Sir William murmured.

"Wine glass S contained one fingerprint pattern and it was not Wickham's" The Colonel frowned as he tried to work out the mystery. "So this one can be ruled out to have any relevance to the murder." He murmured and continued. "Wine glass T had three fingerprint patterns, one of that was Wickham's. Miss Elizabeth said Miss Bingley gave her a glass of wine, which Wickham took it and drank from it. Oh, wine glass P with the poison in it only contained Wickham and one more fingerprint. Carter found that the unknown print on wine glass P matches that of one of wine glass T?"

"Indeed!" Lusington confirmed. "The wine from Miss Bingley did not kill Wickham. It was the wine in glass P."

"If that is the case, either Miss Bingley or Miss Elizabeth poisoned George Wickham. Why did you want to obtain finger patterns from all the guests of the party?" Sir William asked Lusington.

"I wanted to throw off the murderess at first, not to let her know that we have already narrowed down to two suspects. But since Mr. Darcy has worked it out, he, Colonel and Mr. Bingley are all related or friendly with both ladies, I will not need to distract any more. May I request the presence of Miss Caroline Bingley and Miss Elizabeth Bennet? Captain Carter is waiting outside to take their fingerprint patterns. And I caution you, gentlemen, not to say a word to the two suspects of my investigation."

"I do not understand. What is this fingerprint?" Bingley said, confused. The Colonel explained it to Bingley in more detail, but continued to glance at Darcy with worries. Did Miss Elizabeth come back from the cave with Darcy together? If Lusington could not interview her today, he might believe Miss Elizabeth to be the murderess.

"My wife and Caroline went to town to visit the modiste while I was there. Caroline does not find the modiste here in Meryton good enough, but she said she was bored. They are now upstairs, changing for tea. Should I send a carriage to Longbourn for Miss Elizabeth before we all go to the parlour?" Bingley asked glumly, not believing that Caroline or Elizabeth would do such a thing.

"I thought Miss Elizabeth has disappeared to Dover, in the name of doing some errands for Mr. Bennet," Sir William sneered.

"Jane told me she received a note from Kitty this morning that Elizabeth returned home late last night."

"Oh, Miss Lucas gave you the wrong information," Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned and taunted at Sir William. "You better not get your daughter involved in your official investigation in the future, Sir William. I demand that you send a note to release Miss Mary now."

"Yes, that can be arranged," Sir William retorted. "after I arrest her sister."

Darcy stood up and stepped towards the magistrate until Sir William shrank behind Lusington, who called for everyone to behave calmly.

A moment later, Bingley wrote a note, which Sir William read and approved before it was sent off to Longbourn. Sir William said he did not want Bingley to give Miss Elizabeth any clue about the possible arrest. Darcy would have hit the magistrate if not for Richard restraining him.

The five gentlemen, together with Captain Carter, who had a portfolio in his hands, sans Manders, moved to the parlour. They sat in two groups talking awkwardly about nothing until Miss and Mrs. Bingley entered a quarter of an hour later.

"Mr. Darcy! How we despair about your company!" Miss Bingley exclaimed and sauntered to where the gentleman sat. Darcy had the foresight to sit with Colonel on a sofa for two. All the gentlemen rose to greet the ladies. Miss Bingley tried to squeeze Richard away from the chaise but the Colonel elbowed her back. Miss Bingley had no choice but went to sit next to Sir William. She ignored other men and pouted. "You have been gone for five days, Mr. Darcy. Surely your steward did not have so many problems for you to resolve. How is our dear Georgiana? Did you go to Lady Harrington's ball in town three days ago? I heard that it was well attended by all the exalted company."

"Thank you for your enquiry, Miss Bingley," Darcy replied politely. He nodded for Bingley to make the introduction.

"Oh, right," Bingley said nervously. "Mrs. Bingley, Caroline, you have met Lusington, the military lawyer from London, who is collaborating with Sir William on George Wickham's murder? This is Captain Carter, assisting in the investigation."

"Why are we still troubled with this annoying matter?" Miss Bingley scrunched her nose. "I thought Sir William has arrested Miss Mary and is waiting for the trial. What did you say that will be?"

"The Lent assize court will be at Hertfordshire in summer," Miss Bingley's faithful supporter Sir William explained. "Still a few months away."

"That must have stretched your resources, Sir William, to feed one more mouth in your house. And I heard your daughters are taking care of the prisoner. How very generous of you! If it were up to me, I will lock up the criminal, woman or not, in the stables and only throw her some stale bread from time to time."

Sir William nodded while Colonel Fitzwilliam growled. Darcy put his hand on Richard's arm to calm him.

"Caroline, that is most unkind. Mary is innocent, I am sure of it!" Bingley said.

"Thank you, Charles, for speaking up for Mary. My sister will not harm anyone." Jane added.

"Oh, I am sure Miss Mary is usually kind, but Mr. Wickham was threatening and blackmailing her beloved sister and Father. I am sure Miss Mary killed Mr. Wickham in a moment of desperation."

"No matter," Lusington interjected. "There is new evidence that Miss Mary is not the culprit. I am here to take the fingerprint of the guests at the party."

"Not the culprit! How can that be? I told Sir William Miss Mary was the one…"

"It was you who implicated Mary?" Jane shouted angrily, it was the first time she had been seen in a rage.

"It was Mr. Boulanger, who saw your two lovely sisters argued with the handsome Mr. Wickham. I only enlightened Sir William of what the argument was about." Miss Bingley retorted with her nose up in the air.

"I thought you were my friend," Jane jerked up from her seat and lunged to tear at Miss Bingley's hair.

"Your friend? I scoffed at you to my friends in London in every letter I wrote," Miss Bingley shoved Jane away, showing her ugly teeth. She advanced forward, pointing the finger at Jane. "You stupid nobody who thought yourself a sweet princess? You are living on our Bingley fortune. You should let me direct the servants and handle the money. You are nothing but a pretentious money-grubber!"

"Caroline, stop it!" Bingley came between the two women. "Apologize to my wife this instant!"

"I shall never grovel in front of any Bennets! If you truly fulfill your promise to Father, Charles, you would not have let a weasel like Eliza Bennet to tempt Mr. Darcy away from me. And to let a church rat like Jane invade this family, it is unforgivable!"

"Darcy never likes you. He will never marry you even if you had a hundred thousand pounds dowry."

"Mr. Darcy and Pemberley belong to me. I shall not let Elizabeth Bennet jeopardize my grand plan or George Wickham to put his hand into my husband's wealth!" Caroline yelled at the top of her voice at Jane and Bingley.

"Did you kill Wickham?" Darcy asked suddenly.

"What if I killed him? It was not intentional and even if I did, what does it matter?" She swung around to face Darcy, eyes red with anger.

"Who matters to you, Miss Bingley?"

"Me, of course! I am Caroline Bingley, soon to be your elegant wife. I soiled Wickham's plan with Elizabeth Bennet. That chit was going to compromise you and force you to marry her. She was going to take my position as Mrs. Darcy! A position I have been vying for five long years. Then Wickham would get your money through her. He was going to sleep with that slut and give you a bastard. I saved you. You should thank me by marrying me now!"

"Why did you implicate Miss Mary then?" Darcy continued his questions, seeing that Miss Bingley seemed to be out of her senses and revealing her crime without prompting.

"Sir William was asking too many questions. Mary, the church mouse served my purpose by standing right next to the wine glass. I pointed her out to Sir William and even told him the sister was acting on the directive of Eliza Bennet. But he was so useless and did not arrest that chit! He should have just sent the two women to Newgate the same day. Then they would have died in prison and the murder case of George Wickham would have been closed!"

"I, useless?" Sir William exclaimed. "I made my fortune from my shop. What did you do? You live on your Father's hard work from trade. I was knighted for my extraordinary service for a Duke. What did you do your entire life? You status-seeker!"

"Fortune? How much dowry have you saved for your daughters? How much money will you leave for your sons? And a Sir in this savage place! Who cares about it?"

"You had all the education from a fine London seminary and you do not even realize that the haughty man tolerates you like mud on his boots. And are you a simpleton? To admit to killing George Wickham without even an interrogation by an officer of the law."

"I did not kill George Wickham. I have only put some sleeping draughts in the wine glass. It was meant for Eliza Bennet. I was going to take her to a guest room, and guide Mr. Wickham there, to have a wicked way with her. Then Mr. Darcy will not marry that chit. How could I know that Wickham would drink from both glasses?"

"Did you not procure arsenic from the herb woman in Walthamstow?" Lusington jumped in. "Your lady maid was recognized as the one who bought a large amount of sleeping draughts from Mrs. Worting."

"My lady maid will confirm with you that I have not bought any arsenic. You cannot pin that militiaman's death on me! All of you are against me!"

"I may know where the arsenic came from," Elizabeth said, as she was shown into the parlour.


	25. Who am I?

_A.N. Dear lovely Iiysyl, Colleen, Jolanda, Kiwipride, Gabyhyatt, Gemma, Happy Lizzy, and other reviewers, thank you for taking the time to review throughout my posting. __I couldn't have completed this story without your encouragement. Writing time-travel is a lot more challenging than I first thought. Historical accuracy is quite time-consuming. I also made some glaring mistakes in the story: ladies wore gloves at a ball. So there wouldn't be any fingerprints left to be dusted. I will fix this and other mistakes when I get it professionally edited for publication._

_This story is particularly difficult to write. At first, there were negative comments about the sadistic clergyman, plots, etc. One of the comments also referred to a lack of respect and understanding of African Americans because Lucy spoke about her slavery experience too lightly. I do not know any African Americans personally. But I am a non-English speaking immigrant in Australia and came from a disadvantaged background. I have abundant respect and empathy for people of different colours and backgrounds, as I have worked with them for over 20 years._

_Anyway, I'm happy that the story is completed (I will post the last chapter tomorrow). This chapter contains many answers regarding the future, but you will need to wait for the final chapter regarding answers to the past. Happy reading and I look forward to reading your reviews. _

_Thank you to other silent readers too. I hope you have time to write a word/send me a smiley, so I know you enjoy the story. As Jane Austen said, "There are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement." I need your encouragement to nurture my love of writing. _

_Please be kind to each other, as we are in a world that is turned upside down. Stay safe and healthy! Enid_

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**Chapter 25**

Darcy could not keep his eyes from his betrothal. He had not in Elizabeth's company for two days since they time-travelled back to 1812. It still amazed him about this surreal adventure. He met and talked to a Roman God, stepped foot in America in 2009, attended one of the greatest days in history for mankind and experienced the world's advancements, with his love by his side.

With the highs, he also learned about the lows, such as the struggles of people of different colours and backgrounds, wars, crimes, drugs, pandemic and future forms of slavery.

He was humbled to learn that Elizabeth and his descendants and their close circle of friends continued to dedicate their energy to world causes and thrive around the globe and into 2038. The letter Hannah Fisher, the Director of D&H Foundation in 2009, discovered, which gave instructions on how to welcome Darcy, Elizabeth and Lucy from 1812 and 1892 respectively came from a Miss Genna Darcy of 2038.

Through Hannah, Genna left Elizabeth, Darcy and Lucy an encrypted file, which allowed them to use 2009 technology to "talk" to a hologram version of Genna. Darcy opened that file at D&H Museum on their return from Ohio, the last day they stayed in 2009. He later learned from the Internet that it was an advanced artificial intelligent data file.

"Hello, forebears!" Genna greeted the three 2009 time-travellers cheerfully. "I am Genna Darcy, many times great-granddaughter of you two, Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy of Pemberley!"

Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged a look of wonder. "Hello great-granddaughter, many times in the future," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"You look so much like Georgiana, my sister," Darcy commented. His voice thick with emotion. "although you look quite tan."

"Yeah, right, I've seen pictures and learned about Georgiana Darcy, born on 1795. She was beautiful! Thank you for the compliment. She married Lord Metcalf's nephew and became Lady Metcalf. I've got a bit of blood from her, and of your relatives and friends too."

"Indeed?" Darcy was glad to learn more about Georgiana's future.

"Yes, I'm Italian. I have some percentage of blood from you, Miss Lucy, Joe and Hannah Fitzwilliams, Catherine Lane nee Bennet and General Fitzwilliam's batsman Simon Tuttle."

Darcy's head spun with the information.

"Oh, we would be related in the future generations!" Lucy and Elizabeth exclaimed and squeezed each other's hands with excitement.

"Italian? How did you know we would time-travel to the New World in 2009? How did you persuade Miss Fisher to help us?" Darcy asked.

"Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said. "pray do not overwhelm the child with questions. Miss Darcy, maybe it is easier for you to tell us about yourself."

"Si! But I'm 30 years old now, many times Bisnonna. I'm a bit older than you, not a child anymore. May I call you Bisnonna?" Genna arched her eyes and laughed. Elizabeth gave her permission and Genna continued. "I was born in Milan in 2012. My parents discovered I have an extremely high I.Q. when I was three years old. I had a wonderful and happy childhood. But suddenly, the devastating coronavirus pandemic exploded like a bomb in Italy in 2020."

"A pandemic? Like The Black Death?" Elizabeth gasped.

"The death toll of this respiratory illness did not reach a million, but it killed tens of thousands of people in many poor countries. Several more advanced and wealthy nations were caught off guard as well. Italy was one of the hardest hit with many deaths. I lost my parents, grandparents and many of the extended family members in a matter of two weeks. They were infected during their work with the poor and disadvantaged members of the community in Italy. The pandemic came fast and hard. Despite their wealth, they all died within weeks of each other."

"Oh, my poor dear!" Elizabeth exclaimed with tears in her eyes. "I could not imagine what you have been through. What happened to you then?"

"And you were just eight years old, weren't you?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. I have a few distant Darcy cousins in the U.K., USA and Asia. Still, my parents left my guardianship with Mrs. Brenda Fitzwilliam's family of Buenos Aires, a descendent of the niece of Lucy's late husband and General Fitzwilliam."

"Wow, I must tell Brenda about it," Lucy said. "if she believes me about time travel. A genius in the family!"

"Were Mrs. Fitzwilliam and her family good to you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Very much so. I was very enraged, at people and at the world, at that time. But Brenda has such a free spirit and passion for life. She got me through the anger and grief. I started to take my studies more seriously again. I graduated with a Ph.D. when I was 15 and was making quite a name for myself in the field of infectious disease prevention and promotion by the time I turned 18. Shortly afterwards, I became the board chairman of the D&H Foundation. When I was checking on the background of the Foundation, I found the deeds of lands with caves in six different locations in the world, near our global offices."

"Ah, you discovered the time travel portals!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Yes, I had my first argument with God Janus at Rio Gallegos then."

Elizabeth laughed. "You certainly have Lucy's blood in you. She did the same and that was why she ended up in 2009 to attend President Obama's inauguration."

"What did you argue about?" Lucy smiled.

"I discovered the unusual beaming lights in the cave and this apparition that emerged out of nowhere. I figured that he is God Janus by asking him a few pointed scientific questions. I was fascinated that time travel is really possible and demanded to go back to 2020, hoping to save my family from the devastating pandemic."

"Were you successful?" Elizabeth asked.

Genna shook her head. "I went back three times, to 2015, 2019 and 2020. I always time-travelled with some preparations such as clothing, money, I.D.s of the era. I was able to find my way to help the World Health Organisation to develop a vaccine. But humans are forgetful and complacent. They never seem to learn their lessons from history. The vaccine was either developed too early or too late to save my family."

"I am so sorry to hear about it," Darcy said.

"You must be devastated," Elizabeth commented.

"I ranted and raged against God Janus for the first two times, but on my last visit to 2020, I was lucky enough to say goodbye to my parents and grandparents. I was not allowed to do so when I was an eight-year-old girl."

"How come?"

"It was a very infectious disease and hospitals were overwhelmed. The critically ill patients were kept from their families to prevent the disease from spreading. The deceased were cremated or buried without any family members attending. But this time, I arrived as an 18-year-old doctor. I said goodbye to them and held their hands when they died."

Elizabeth and Lucy had tears flowing down their face. Darcy felt a terrible loss as well for the Darcys of Italy. "Did they know it was you, Genna Darcy, who was no longer an 8-year-old?"

Genna nodded. "My parents seemed to know about the magic of time travel. They told me not to attempt to change history but use the gift by God Janus to help the most needed in the world. My father told me I am, in fact, named after God Janus, Gennaio for January."

"Did you accept that?" Lucy asked.

"Saying goodbye to them helped me a lot," Genna's broody face brightened up. "I then used my time, energy and opportunity of time-travel, to make the world a safer place health-wise. In between my studies and work, I would travel to beyond 2038, take a glimpse of the future advancements to help my effort stealthily." Genna laughed.

"It is good to hear that you have grieved and healed," Elizabeth said. "I want to hug you."

"I want to too, Bisnonna. Now, about the letter to Hannah of 2009. I am to be a mother soon, in about six months."

"Congratulations!" The three time-travellers of 2009 cheered.

Genna caressed her abdomen. "Suddenly, I have this urge to know more about the past. I want to tell my little boy about myself, my wonderful parents, grandparents and the ancestors who made me who I am."

"Like a scientific study into the history of the Darcys?" Lucy commented.

"Yes, I looked through some of the personal paper my parents left me, which I had never touched earlier. I was afraid they would be too painful to read. But now, I am ready. In an encrypted databank file, they talked about you, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, from the Regency era. The two most important people in our family history. I have also read your books, Bisnonna. The "Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller" and its three sequels. They were so fascinating!"

"I will be a published author!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Another rounds of congratulations were heard.

"Pray continue, Miss Genna," Darcy said.

"The paper also mentioned Edward Darcy, Lucy Hill and the creation of D&H Foundation. It piqued my interest. I took several trips back to the past. On one of my trips, I found Paul Mitford wounded in Oakham Mount. I patched up his wound before Hannah Fisher of 1811 arrived."

"The father of Miss Hannah of 2009 told us some of the rumour about his family history," Elizabeth said. "He said one of his ancestors Paul Mitford killed someone in England and flee to the New World with his wife. He changed his name to Paul Fisher."

"Yes, Mr. Paul Fisher of Ohio in 2009 looked very much like the person I met at London docks in 1811 when I was investigating the disappearance of Miss Elizabeth. Did you, Genna, know that Miss Elizabeth had been injured by her cousin Mr. Collins at Oakham Mount? She time-travelled to 1892 Washington D.C. where she met Miss Lucy?" Darcy added. "Was this family rumour about Paul Mitford real?"

"Indeed! Before Paul left with Hannah of Meryton in 1811, he wanted to make a confession. At first, I declined to listen to it, as I was pretending to be a nurse from London then, but he insisted. He told me his sister Daisy, who worked in the family tavern, had gone missing. Paul followed every lead and found the evil Mr. Collins a most likely suspect. He witnessed Collins attacked Hannah and helped her. She was a maid working at the unspeakable alley in Meryton. Later, Paul found Collins attacked a gentlewoman who fled after striking back. The gentlewoman fell into a pit. Paul was unable to find and help the woman. When he returned to Collins, trying to get information about the whereabouts of his sister, Collins attacked him with a knife. Paul stabbed Collins to death."

"Oh, my Lord! Mr. Mitford is the murderer of Mr. Collins!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "But we cannot have Mr. Mitford arrested. He is only doing it to defend himself."

"My men followed Mr. Mitford to London docks, where he pawned Collins's pocket watch for funds to buy tickets for Ireland. How did he end up in the New World?" Darcy asked.

"Paul's story made me think of the family history I read about you two," Genna said with a smug look. "I read that Bisnonna Lizzy had been missing for about three months at the end of 1811. It seemed there were some rumours spread by the Lucases before your marriage that Mr. Darcy kept you as his mistress in London during that time."

"How dare them!" Elizabeth uttered. "I thought Charlotte is my friend! Why would they spread such a lie about Mr. Darcy and me, who is an honorable man?"

"Let me continue and you will understand," Genna said. "I immediately deduced that the woman who fell down the time-travel portal in Oakham Mount is you, Bisnonna Lizzy. I also believe that as you are closely related to Collins, his death and your disappearance would make you a suspect. Paul wanted to confess his crime to the local magistrate. He did not want anyone to be accused of a crime he had committed. But Hannah told him not to tell William Lucas the truth."

"Why? What did Hannah Fisher know about Sir William?"

"The righteous Magistrate of Meryton at that time liked to visit hookers. Sorry, I should use your language. Bisnonna Lizzy, Sir William frequented the ladies at the unspeakable alleys in the surrounding towns. He loved to talk while he was having sex." Elizabeth's eyes widened and her face turned a shade of red.

"My goodness!" Lucy murmured.

Genna continued, "One of his usual rants which spread to the ears of the whore at Meryton was that he was extremely jealous of Mr. Bennet. He married the beautiful Mrs. Bennet and had a more prosperous estate than him. Sir William had been itching to take down anyone named Bennets for some time. Hannah felt that if Paul confessed to Sir William and handed the magistrate Collins's knife, the magistrate could twist the fact to pin the murder on you, Bisnonna Lizzy. I agreed with Hannah and would not put it past Sir William to smear Lizzy's reputation by linking her to Paul, convicting both of them of murder. Hannah would not want you arrested as she knew you have been kind to all the poor people in Meryton."

"I would challenge Sir William to a duel if he dares to smear Miss Elizabeth's reputation!" Darcy roared.

"I persuaded Paul to write a confession letter for me instead. I hid it with the knife somewhere safe in the cave at Mount Oakham. You can take them to show to the authority to exonerate Bisnonna Lizzy. Bisnonno Darcy, but please do not ever let Sir William get his hands on them, or he would find a way to destroy the evidence."

"I will make sure of that," Darcy said. He smiled at being called great grandfather Darcy by a woman who looked like Georgiana but only slightly older than him.

"I also suggested Paul take Collins's pocket watch and pawn it in London. That way, it would point to a robbery gone wrong. I suggested them to pretend to buy tickets to Ireland, but detoured to sail to America instead, with a new identity as Mr. and Mrs. Paul Fisher."

"You are quite sly, Genna!" Elizabeth said. "But if Paul put all this information in the confession letter, would he not worry about being arrested in the New World?"

Genna smiled proudly. "That is called strategy, Bisnonna. General Fitzwilliam's blood must be flowing through me when I suggested all that to Paul and Hannah. Paul never expected to be a free man after the murder. He agreed to everything to help Hannah away from the poor situation. Hannah's mistress bought her from an orphanage when she was just a toddler. She was going to train Hannah up to serve her clients. I told Paul he would be doing a good last act to protect Hannah and set her up in a brand new world."

"I remember now. When I met the Fishers at London docks," Darcy murmured. "Mrs. Fisher knew me by sight, telling Mr. Fisher I am not Sir William. She called me by my name. How did she know me?"

Genna laughed. "You are such a handsome and rich gentleman. How could the entire female population in Meryton, including the whore at the unspeakable alley, not know about you. Hannah and her mistress had seen you talking to the Bennet sisters in town. You are quite admired, Bisnonno Darcy!"

Lucy and Elizabeth all laughed out loud when Darcy blushed a deep red.

"Now, Genna, how did you know we would be visiting D&H Foundation in 2009?" Darcy diverted the attention from himself back to the issue at hand.

"That was easy to answer. I talked to God Janus about who has time-travelled or would be according to his record book of time travels. God Janus was worried about Lucy and Elizabeth not finding a place to stay for three days in 2009. So I decided to take the matter in my own hands and left the instruction letter a few days earlier in one of the documents in D&H Museum."

"How did you make sure Miss Fisher of 2009 would find it?" Lucy asked.

"I could not guarantee that, but I think God Janus might have more power than he said. He could travel outside of the time portals. He was quite fond of you, Lucy and Bisnonna Lizzy. He must have told me about your travel in 2009 on purpose."

"I see. But how did you persuade Miss Fisher that your request is genuine?"

"I told Hannah in the note I left her that if she still wanted a chance with Joe Fitzwilliam, she must welcome the three of you as I instructed. She also would got her hands on Carlina Collins, arresting for criminal offences. I learned about Hannah and Joe's rocky romance from family history."

"You seem to know a lot about the family history, Genna," Elizabeth said. "Would I be tempting fate by asking you who killed George Wickham? I am worried about Mary, my sister, who was falsely arrested by Sir William."

"You do not have to worry about Miss Mary, as she married General Fitzwilliam. Otherwise, Joe Fitzwilliam and I would not be born," Genna smiled and then paused for a moment. "I love puzzles. Let me make it more interesting for you. The culprit will be unveiled by Bisnonno Darcy. Bisnonna Lizzy will solve the question of the murder weapon by examining the colours of the Netherfield party. Have I answered all your questions?"

The three time-travellers accepted Genna's impertinent reply, as they were less worried about Mary's fate now. They talked to the hologram a bit longer and came up with a strategy to dispel any possible rumour of Darcy and Elizabeth's disappearing together in 1812.


	26. A secret inventor

_A.N. Thank you, Michelle, Missouri Walker, Nanciellen, Debu, Joan, Vesper, Jolanda, Kiwipride, MrsSP9, Colleen, Gabyhyatt, Happy Lizzy, for the reviews. I am so happy that you find the story interesting and Lucy, a woman with strength. _Happy Lizzy, in my mind, Genna Darcy only hid Paul's confession letter and Collins's knife right before Darcy and Elizabeth returned to 1812 from 2009.

_I'm not sure if I have mentioned this here at FFN. The story idea came after I saw a photo of an elegant African American lady dressed in the late 1800s clothing. It made me wonder what would happen if I send our favourite couple from Regency England to America in the late 1800s. __I then looked into some famous African American women. I came across Mary Jane Patterson, the first black woman to earn a B.A. degree (source: Wikipedia). She served as Dunbar High School's (Washington, D.C.) first black principal, from 1871 to 1872. Patterson was demoted and then reappointed from 1873 to 1884. I am in awe of Ms. Patterson to have thrived in such a difficult time. She graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio. It had some difficult beginnings in 1839–40, and Rev. John Keep and William Dawes were sent to England to raise funds for the college. I thus weaved some of Ms. Patterson's background into the story as Lucy's. I settled Lucy in 1892 and sent Lizzy to that time mainly because I wanted to introduce the fingerprinting method to solve a crime._

_The first draft of the story, which I completed in September 2019 before posting, didn't have the part about God Janus, Obama's inauguration in 2009, nor the pandemic in 2020. As I started posting and revision, my idea evolved. Sorry, Debu, that it is too painful for you to read about the situation of the pandemic. I feel deeply about it too. Many of the elderly people died of the Covid-19 without any family by their side. The basic things about food, family, social contacts and freedom which many, including myself, seem to have sometimes taken for granted because of our preoccupation with earning a living, surfing the Internet or becoming rich, etc., come into the forefront of everyone's mind. _

_Thank you and other readers for reading my unbeta'ed stories. I feel some connection with different readers around the world. I also hope that I've brought you some laughter. Let me know if there are still any unanswered questions. Do leave me some reviews. I'd love to hear about your thoughts. Cheers Enid, from sunny Sydney._

* * *

**Chapter 26**

Darcy's reminiscence of the time-travel was interrupted by the arrival of three more persons in Netherfield.

"Lord Metcalf, you made excellent time!" Darcy greeted the magistrate from Kent. His Lordship was accompanied by Peter Mitford, Father of Daisy and Paul Mitford and the Colonel's batsman Tuttle. Colonel Fitzwilliam added his greeting to the party but stared at his batsman with a frown. After a round of introduction, Mr. Mitford was asked to verify the handwriting of his son. He examined the letter with tears in his eyes and confirmed that the confession was writing by his son. Lusington asked Mrs. Bingley to prepare a room for the tavern owner to rest. Once Mitford left the parlour, Lusington bid Lord Metcalf to take over the proceeding.

"His Lordship, I am sure Sir William has no objection for you to preside over the matter of both murders. You are more senior and longer serving magistrate of the two."

Lord Metcalf looked to Meryton magistrate, who opened his mouth and then stuttered, "Umh, His Lordship will be…tired from his journey. Perhaps we should not…bother him and let him rest instead."

"Thank you for your consideration, Sir William. I had a comfortable and easy journey and what is 50 miles of good road." Lord Metcalf dismissed Sir William's suggestion and asked Lusington to bring him up to speed about the two murders.

Miss Bingley pleaded a headache and asked to be excused from the party during all this, but Lord Metcalf would not let anyone else leave the room. She fainted, but His Lordship instructed her brother and Tuttle to carry her to lie on a chaise. Bingley cradled Caroline's head when Tuttle stepped forward to take her foot.

"How dare you!" Miss Bingley revived miraculously from the fainting, tried to kick Tuttle and yelled at him. "Take your hands off me!"

Tuttle shrugged his shoulders, stepped back and turned to look at His Lordship.

"Great, Miss Bingley's malaise seemed to have gone, Tuttle, pray stand guard behind her for me."

"I must object, Your Lordship," Caroline snarled. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You are interrupting Lusington from briefing me about two serious murders. I could send you to prison for obstruction of justice."

Caroline opened her mouth to say more, but Bingley sat down by her side and stuffed her mouth with his handkerchief, muffling her protest. He also held her on the seat.

Once Lusington finished, Lord Metcalf bid Elizabeth continue. "What do you know about the arsenic, Miss Bennet?"

"I was away on business for my Father to Dover for a few days," Elizabeth said, "and I met Mrs. Worting at a shop there."

"The herb woman at Walthamstow," Lusington said. "My men interviewed her and asked her not to leave town!"

"Mrs. Worting must have misunderstood your instruction," Elizabeth said. "she was visiting a friend there."

"Did she confess to selling arsenic to Miss Bingley's lady maid?" Colonel Fitzwilliam said.

Miss Bingley mumbled a protest and Bingley said on her behalf. "My sister would not do such a thing."

"Indeed not," Elizabeth said. "Mrs. Worting was less tight-lipped this time. She confirmed that she recognized Mr. Bingley's carriage. A lady's maid by the name of Carlina came to her shop and bought a large amount of sleeping draught from her."

"Carlina is the nickname of Miss Bingley's lady maid," Jane said with scorn. "Miss Bingley is so forgetful that she called the maid with a name after herself."

"That confirmed my men's interview," Lusington said. "Let us summon the lady's maid."

Jane pulled the bell and gave the instruction eagerly. However, a few minutes later, the footman returned with Mrs. Nicholls, the housekeeper. Mrs. Nicholls reported that the lady's maid was nowhere to be seen and Miss Bingley's jewellery case was opened and empty. Another alarming matter was that Miss de Bourgh was missing too.

Darcy and the Colonel conferred for a moment and Richard left the room to organise the search for their cousin. Darcy remained.

Miss Bingley's eyes burst with anger. She muffled more words behind her gag.

"Miss Bennet, pray continue to recount with your meeting with Mrs. Worting," Lord Metcalf said.

"Mrs. Worting said that Carlina complained about Miss Bingley's 'high dungeon'. Her mistress had just learned that her intended would be wearing emerald green for the party and she had her heart set on changing the colour theme of the party to green."

"I remember that," Bingley murmured. "Caroline was like a monkey gone crazy, ordering the servants to dye the fine orange tablecloths and dining serviettes she particularly bought from London emerald green."

Mrs. Bingley had returned to the parlour and nodded. She murmured with disgust. "For the peace of my husband, I let his utterly _elegant_ sister ruined a few fine furnishings by dyeing them green for the party."

"What did that have to do with the arsenic?" Bingley asked.

"Carlina told Mrs. Worting that her mistress even wanted to match the wine glasses, the same emerald green as the tablecloths. Mrs. Worting warned Carlina that dye contained arsenic and her mistress surely would not want the guests to drink in too much arsenic."

"But, Caroline did!" Jane exclaimed. "She made the servants painted a few of the finest glasses, with green dye paint, before Mrs. Nicholls stopped the servants. I thought the housekeeper asked the servants not to use them."

"The glass that Miss Bingley gave me before I sat down for supper with Miss Bennet, was green in colour," Darcy said with a frown. "Did Miss Bingley want to poison me?"

Miss Bingley pushed her brother's hands away and removed the gag. "Indeed not! I only thought the green wine glass looked quite a good match with your coat. I personally did not like green that much. What sacrifice I made for you! I put green accents on my orange gown and chose feathers with more green than orange. I even had to paint two other best wine glasses myself, one for me and one for you, because that blasted housekeeper confiscated the ones the servants painted. How devoted I am to you, Mr. Darcy! Why did you reject me? All I have wanted was to be the Mistress of Pemberley. How grand! And the pin money! The fine carriages! I can buy hundreds of gowns and hats in any colours I like and turn your shirts, waistcoats, cravats and coats to match mine. We would be the most admired and talked about couple in town!"

Darcy drew in a deep breath to suppress the bile that emerged in his throat. The image of himself in an array of colours, with a matching Miss Bingley digging her claws on his arm, made him nausea.

"The poisonous wine glass is in green!" Lusington exclaimed.

"Mr. Wickham had no business drinking from my special glass! I was going to get Mr. Darcy to come with me after I disposed of Eliza and Mr. Wickham. We would toast together with the two green wine glasses I prepared while Eliza would be compromised by Mr. Wickham. It was such a fine scheme. Mr. Wickham ruined my plan! He drank from my glass. He killed himself. It has nothing to do with me!"

Lord Metcalf had listened enough. He signaled for Bingley to gag his sister again and Tuttle to tie the lady's hands. Then His Lordship asked Captain Carter to take the fingerprints from Miss Bennet and a struggling Miss Bingley. Carter carefully examined the two prints and compared them to the patterns he had on his portfolio. He confirmed that wine glass P contained fingerprints of Miss Bingley and the deceased only. Wine glass T had prints of Miss Bingley, Miss Elizabeth and Wickham.

"Now we have the conclusive evidence that Caroline Bingley accidentally poisoned George Wickham," Lusington said.

"You are under arrest, Miss Caroline Bingley," Lord Metcalf added. "for the wrongful killing of George Wickham and hindering justice by implicating Miss Mary Bennet."

"Please, Lord Metcalf, can we speak privately for a moment?" Bingley asked.

"Fine, I will allow that." Lord Metcalf bid Lusington and Sir William to come with them.

As they walked together to the library, Darcy shot Elizabeth a look to check if she was alright. She nodded and smiled. Darcy was relieved and he followed Bingley into the library, where the younger man made a petition.

"Your Lordship, kindly hear me out and sympathize with my pain. Caroline is but a young woman. Her actions, even though they were terrible, were not intentional. She could not have intended to kill Wickham. After all, it was a sleeping draught she bought rather than arsenic. Is there anything that can be done for her? Her idiocy is deserving of heavy punishment but it was simply a mistake. Can an alternative arrangement be made for her?"

Darcy was incensed on behalf of Elizabeth, the ultimate victim of Miss Bingley's crime. But he understood Bingley. Bingley tried to show his brotherly love by pleading for his sister's life.

"Well, even though I am a man of the law, I understand that it was a foolish error on her part. I will not recommend a death sentence, but she deserves punishment, a very severe one. A man died, regardless of whether it was a mistake. She deserves a heavy sentence."

"Anything but the death sentence would be exceedingly gracious."

Lord Metcalf thought for a few moments and talked to Lusington. Sir William wanted to join in the discussion but Metcalf told him to remain seated at his place.

"The deceased does not have a family. I think there will be no one to object to Caroline Bingley not be taken to trial," Lord Metcalf said after conferring with Lusington.

"I would recommend to the crown that she leaves England and never to return again. Also, I would order her to pay compensation for three parties: the militia for the loss of a member, Miss Mary Bennet, for her wrongful detention and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the intended victim of Caroline Bingley's viciousness."

"Of course, Your Lordship, I would help pay up," Bingley replied. He was relieved that Caroline would not be hanged, even though he might never see her again after her transportation.

"Indeed not, you cannot pay for Caroline Bingley's wrongdoing. She must own up to her mistakes. I understand that she has twenty thousand pounds dowry. I would recommend to the crown that she be stripped of the entire sum and the money be split three ways for the three parties I mentioned."

"But how could she live in exile, with no money?" Bingley exclaimed.

"I would allow you to purchase her a ticket to sail out of England. Nothing fancy. It must be a cabin for servants. You can pay her the wage of 15 pounds a year, the equivalent of how much a lady's maid earns, with a possible five percent increase after 10 years. Nothing more. Should you or any of your family or friends are found to provide her with more funds, other means such as jewellery now or in the future, I would recommend the party be fined too. Have I made myself clear?"

"Fifteen pounds a year! Caroline will be furious."

"Or she can choose to go for a trial where I would recommend death sentence if she is convicted," Lord Metcalf said sternly.

Bingley nodded glumly. "No, I would tell Caroline to accept this arrangement."

"Good. Now, Sir William. I found you exceedingly incompetent in exercising your authority as a magistrate. You interviewed only a handful of witnesses and listened to just one-sided account by Caroline Bingley who turned out to be the real culprit and arrested an innocent gentlewoman. Miss Mary Bennet's reputation would be forever tainted, even though she is exonerated. I would recommend to the crown that you would never be allowed a magistracy."

"That is unfair!" Sir William protested. "I sent my men out diligently to investigate!"

"Yes, as far as I heard, for Mr. Collins's murder. That evil clergyman was not a worthy person! What have you done regarding George Wickham's murder? Did you interrogate Miss Mary about where she procured the poison?"

"No…but I was busy,"

"With what?"

"Mr. Collins's murder was not yet solved. I was desperate to make an arrest for that crime while I had a murderess for Wickham's case."

"I am sure you are eager to pin Collins's murder on Mr. Bennet, judging from what I was told and the letter from Paul Mitford."

"That letter is entirely a fabrication, by this man from Derbyshire!" Sir William pointed to Darcy.

"I see you are still intend on an libelous act against Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy, would you care to sue Sir William for libel? Lusington and I will be happy to be the witness."

Before Darcy could reply, Sir William apologized. "No, I am sorry, Lord Metcalf. I agree that the confession letter is genuine, as confirmed by Peter Mitford. I apologize for not investigated vigorously enough for George Wickham's murder."

"You do not owe me an apology," Lord Metcalf said. "but to Mr. Darcy. I can see that you are not man enough to admit to your error. I am tempted to fine you as well, for at least one thousand pounds, to pay Miss Mary Bennet for her loss of reputation."

Sir William's mouth gaped open and fainted dead away. Lord Metcalf shook his head and stood up. The party of four left the Meryton magistrate to be tended by a servant.

Soon, Miss Bingley was locked up in her room, with Captain Carter overseeing her confinement, awaiting Bingley's arrangement for her departure from England. Miss Mary was released and returned to Longbourn, much to her family and Colonel Fitzwilliam's relief.

~0~

The next day, Darcy went to visit his secret fiancée at Longbourn, with Colonel Fitzwilliam in tow.

"I miss you, Elizabeth," Darcy wrapped his arms around her when they had a moment of privacy in the garden. Richard was walking with Miss Mary at the opposite end of the garden.

"I miss you too, Fitzwilliam. But you know the short separation of two days was necessary."

"I understand. I was grateful that it was Tuttle who found us when we returned to 1812 from our time travel in 2009. I know him well enough during his years with Richard."

Tuttle knew Darcy very well too, for not asking a question about how muddy Elizabeth and Darcy both looked when they emerged from the cave. As Darcy's request, Tuttle got Darcy's valet to come to fetch Darcy with Prospero to go to London for two days. Tuttle escorted Elizabeth back to Longbourn before going away on behalf of Darcy to fetch Lord Metcalf and Paul Mitford. He even promised not to mention the whole episode to the Colonel.

"Tuttle got an earful from Richard last night, about disloyalty and keeping secret from him and so on. Richard still believes I ventured into this tunnel in the caves at Oakham Mount, met this mystery inventor named L and went to London for five days!"

"Lucy, a secret inventor!" Elizabeth laughed. "We needed to appear in Meryton separately, or my reputation would be ruined. It was good for Genna to suggest you go to London for two days before returning to Hertfordshire, while I went back to Longbourn. I think Genna inherited my cleverness."

"Now you are getting my arrogance, Elizabeth," Darcy shook his head. "But your reputation will not be harmed. I am going to ask your Father for permission to marry you anyway, my dear Elizabeth."

Elizabeth smiled brightly, then frowned almost instantly.

"What?" asked Darcy.

"How will you ask my parents without asking me first."

"I have asked you, have you forgotten already? In 2009, in front of a world full of the television audience."

"But that is not me," Elizabeth said archly. "that is Elizabeth Bennet of 2009."

"Well, you are certainly going to say yes as well, Elizabeth of 1812."

"Do not be so sure."

"Do you mean to say there is a chance you might refuse me?"

"Ask me and find out."

Seeing the game Elizabeth was playing, Darcy held her hands and looked into her eyes before saying with all the emotion he could muster.

"Miss Bennet, will you give me the eternal pleasure of being your husband of the Regency era, and of any time in the future?"

"No, Mr. Darcy," she said very flatly. "You did not sound very convincing. Stage actors could do better. I want something theatrical and memorable."

Darcy laughed and then, after a moment's contemplation, got down on one knee. He stared up at her and said, "Elizabeth, make me the happiest man in this world by being my wife and spending the rest of my days and future with me. Marry me, my dearest Elizabeth."

"Yes! Yes, yes and yes! But only for the consideration of our descendants!"

Darcy tapped Elizabeth on the nose and scolded her for the impertinence. They embraced and laughed and cried a little. They went into the house and announced the news to the joy of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, who gladly gave their consent. Mrs. Bennet hugged Elizabeth and there were many congratulations.

"I always knew you would find such a worthy man, Lizzy. How happy I am. Two of my daughters have married into a fortune."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her mother's vulgar jubilation. "We are yet to be married, Mother."

"Imagine how grand a wedding! Imagine the number of important guests. Layers and layers of finest lace…"

"Mother, stop. You are in too much of a hurry."

"I cannot help myself. I am overcome with joy."

"And your nerves?"

"Forget my nerves for today."

"Did mother just say to forget her nerves?" said Lydia in between fits of laughter. She seemed to have gotten over Wickham's death quite quickly.

"I could hardly believe it myself," Mrs. Bennet pressed her handkerchief to her bosom.

"Well, I am indeed happy for you, Lizzy, but do invite as many handsome redcoats as you can," Lydia said with a pout. "Oh, and make sure the wine is served with glasses in every colour but green!"

"I will take your warning to heart," Elizabeth said, laughing.

Mr. Bennet came over to where they were talking and it was apparent that even he was as excited as they all were.

"Elizabeth, it is a surprise how things have turned out, I remember how you hated Mr. Darcy initially. To think that you would end up marrying him. This could be a folder for a love story."

"Thank you, Father. I will soon be leaving you with Mary, Lydia and Kitty. However, Mary may follow soon, judging by Colonel Fitzwilliam's eagerness for her company. How will you cope?"

"What do you mean, cope?" Mary interjected, "we will take good care of you, Father. And Colonel Fitzwilliam needs to learn a few things about the bible before I will give in to his request."

Richard scratched his head and sighed.

"The Colonel has already asked you to marry him?" Mrs. Bennet squeaked. "Oh, Mary, you are marrying the son of a Lord! How grand!"

"I told Colonel Fitzwilliam I am not yet ready," Mary said. "I want to stay at home for a bit longer and take care of you two."

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Bennet objected.

"I already have a migraine in anticipation of your care, Mary." Mr. Bennet teased.

"I do not give you migraines, Father. It is Kitty and Lydia, who do surely give you headaches."

"You always play strange music, though."

"That is unfair, Mr. Bennet," Richard defended his love interest. "Miss Mary shall be most proficient if she is afforded the teaching of a music master."

"I see you agree that Mary's playing does need some instruction." Mr. Bennet laughed.

Richard clamped his mouth shut, on seeing Mary glaring at him. But she then burst into an uncharacteristic laugh, which brightened her complexion. It was such a wonderful day for Mary. Elizabeth was back in Longbourn and marrying Mr. Darcy soon. Mary herself was out of detention, free from any allegation of a crime. She thought little of the two men murdered. William Collins and George Wickham were both vile men. She had much pity for Mr. Paul Mitford and hoped he escaped the noose in the New World. She could not say the same for Miss Bingley, as the woman schemed to harm Elizabeth. Mary did not care about the money that came in her way from Miss Bingley's compensation. Mary was courted by a conscientious gentleman. They could make their future together, with hard work.

After a month, Darcy and Elizabeth were married in a touching ceremony. Six months after their wedding, Elizabeth finally published the book "Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller" under the pseudonym Lucy Hill and it was a success. The profits, together with Miss Bingley's fine, went to a charity to educate poor women and train them to gain employment.

Today, Elizabeth and Darcy returned to Hertfordshire for Mary and Richard's wedding. Mrs. Bennet was in a frenzy with preparation for her daughter's marriage into a noble family. Darcy and his wife escaped the hysteria in Longbourn for walking at Oakham Mount.

"Did Mr. Tincton discover any more information regarding Miss de Bourgh's disappearance?" Elizabeth asked. "You had a letter from him yesterday."

"Only a wealthy woman named Mrs. Carlina Collins was seen disembarked at New York City. She travelled with a Caroline Bourgh and a young baby." Darcy then showed Elizabeth a drawing.

"But that is Miss de Bourgh!"

"Yes, Anne travelled as Mrs. Collins. Her friend Caroline Bourgh is Carlina, the lady's maid of Miss Bingley. But they seem to have disappeared in the vast land of the New World."

"Miss de Bourgh must be still in love with my sadistic cousin if she is calling herself Mrs. Carlina Collins. But why took Carlina's name?"

"I can never understand Anne's mind," Darcy shook his head. "However, we can safely say that the Carlina Collins we met in 2009 is most probably Anne and evil Collins's descendent."

Elizabeth nodded, thinking of the future. "I wonder if we should risk a visit to the future to see Lucy. I miss her dreadfully."

"I suppose that would be fine, except we do not know for sure if this will not lead to any complications of disastrous proportions."

"Well, I do not believe it will. Things worked out pretty well for us the last time. We arrived in 1812 from 2009 without any problem."

"No, we cannot risk it," Darcy said.

"I am teasing you, Mr. Darcy. I do not need to travel into the future. I have everything I need here with me, my lovely husband and my family. But we could send a package. A letter and goods of some sort. I will send Lucy something special, rare herbs, and a copy of my book."

The next day Elizabeth prepared a letter and a package full of things for Lucy. She suggested that they could write a letter to each other on the 27th every two or three months. Darcy and Elizabeth both went to the cave. The glow at the time portal lit up not long afterwards. The package vanished right before their eyes amid the bright lights.

"This is the first time I have witnessed the working of the time machine and it is almost like magic," Elizabeth murmured.

"Indeed!"

Three months later, they returned to the cave and saw they had received two packages, from Lucy and surprisingly from Genna Darcy of 2038 too. Genna told them in a letter that she had stayed in England to witness Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding in 1812. They were astounded and overjoyed. Genna must have observed them from afar. It would not do for another lady who resembled Georgiana Darcy to appear at Darcy's wedding at Longbourn Church.

Darcy and Elizabeth never crossed into the future again themselves. They spent their lives dedicated to their family, tenants and the poor and disadvantaged people in England. Their descendants worked tirelessly for more and more people, and beyond that to other countries in the world.

Darcy and Elizabeth were happy and content with each other in their lives. They did not need to forgive time or to forget life. They were resolute in their purpose and their time in life. Their love and admiration for each other never dimmed.

The End


End file.
